Hello Neighbor
by melodicunrest
Summary: WALKING DEAD AU. BETH POV Moving into your own apartment can be daunting, but Beth Greene was beyond ready to start her life on her own. Going to school, having a job at the Church down the road, and putting up with the Dixon's as neighbors? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all... [possible POV switches between her and Daryl, eventual smut and fluff and romance and stuff]
1. Chapter 1

_ **"Watch where you're going or you'll scratch it, Jimmy!" ** _

Watching him maneuver the cherry wood coffee table into my new apartment was sending chills down my spine. I had picked it out with Momma and Maggie a few weeks ago and it was my parents' "housewarming" gift for me, so naturally I wanted it to at least make it passed the door without being ruined. Personally, I think he was doing it on purpose to spite me, seeing as how I was leaving the farm and country behind in order to move to Savannah to go to school. All I do is give him a look, and he knows what I'm thinking. If there's one thing Jimmy's good at, it's reading my eyes.

"That's the last of it, Sweetheart" my father coos. Everyone had made the trip to move me into my new apartment, probably because they knew they'd miss having me around. They all thought Maggie would be the first one to move off the farm, the first one to go to school, the first to marry and start her life. While I was no where closer to walking down the aisle then my older sister, she had chosen to stay on the farm with our parents and farmhands instead of leaving. I always knew she would. I was always the one who wanted to leave the nest, she was comfortable.

I strolled over to my father and hugged him tight, only to be squeezed in return. "Thanks so much, Daddy, Momma, you two." I gently pried myself from my daddy's and hugged the others too before they took off back to the farm.

"Be good now, ya hear?" my mother warned before following my father out the front door. Maggie hugged me, told me she'd miss having me around the house and that she loved me before she followed suit. That left Jimmy and I alone to say goodbye.

"Have a safe trip back" I say softly, unsure and uncomfortable of the environment around me. His eyes told me everything he wasn't. His fear, his sadness, every emotion he had always been too "strong" to convey.

As we walked to the door, hand in hand, I stayed just as quiet as he was. I think it's because neither of us knew what to do or what was going to happen. Was our relationship going to be the same? Would we call each other every night and fall asleep to the other's breathing? Would our days be full of "I miss you" text messages and Facebook messages? Or would "we" simply fall apart at the seems?

We stopped in the doorway, each of us leaning on different sides of the frame, our hands joined in between us. "That's all you're gonna say to me?" he finally croaked. " Just 'Have a safe trip back'? Aren't you hurting or somethin'?"

He was right. I should have felt worse. I should have been crying and holding onto him in efforts of trying to get him to stay for as long as possible. But I wasn't. Him leaving was just another event in the day, like sitting down and eating breakfast. Before I knew it, Jimmy leaned into me, his hands on my hips as he pressed my back into the frame. "I'mma miss you, Beth". I could feel the raggedness of his breaths against my skin, his lips only centimeters from my own. _That's _when I heard them.

Hoots and hollars, catcalls, the works, suddenly filled the air as two men appeared in the hallway. They were leather-clad and reeked of cheap booze and stale cigarette smoke. Obviously they were still feeling the effects from whatever bender they had been on the night before.

"Well look-y here Baby Brother!" shouted the older of the two men as the younger desperately tried to get the door open to the apartment across from mine AND hold his brother up at the same time. He didn't look like he was enjoying it very much. "New neighbors! We LOVE new neighbors, don't we brother?"

Jimmy's fists clenched as the older man continued to make a fuss. I knew better than to get involved, especially when Jimmy felt threatened. I knew he wouldn't hit me...purposely, but I still kept my distance by shrinking behind him just inside the apartment door. "Take your drunk ass inside old man" he spat at the two harsher looking men. I should have called my father to tell him what was going on, but I didn't. For whatever reason, I just sat and watched, pulled in by some strange desire to watch the argument unfold.

I heard the younger of the two brothers drop the older onto something by the door before he was right on top of Jimmy, looking down on us both. "Watch who yer callin' old, boy" he threatened gruffly, stepping even closer to Jimmy. His eyes locked on mine and he grinned something evil. "Wouldn't want to embarrass ya in front of your little lady here."

As I watched Jimmy's chest puff out, I heard my father's voice and was finally able to breathe again. "Is there a problem here, son?"

Jimmy turned and kissed me chastely before moving toward Daddy. "No, Sir. I was just saying goodbye." Daddy patted him on the shoulder before eyeing the man who was now standing directly in front of me now that my Jimmy-shield was gone. "You alright in there, Beth?"

Looking up into the man's eyes, I found myself fixed in my place. "Yes Daddy, I'm fine. I'll talk to you tonight." There was something that kept my gaze locked on the rough-and-tumble stranger who was apparently my neighbor. "I'm just getting to know the neighbors."

Before long, they were both gone, leaving me alone in my doorway with my eyes still fixed on the man in front of me. We sat there for a moment in complete quiet before I found my voice again.

"Is your brother alright?"

He looked at me for a moment and laughed to himself, as if he couldn't believe I'd even think to ask, and his stance loosening a bit as he did. He dropped his head to look at his boots before continuing. "Merle? He'll be fine. Just picked 'im up from the drunk tank." He picked his head up again and his face was a tad more serious than before. "Sorry 'bout his botherin' ya. I'll be sure to keep 'im quiet when yer boy gets back."

And before I could correct him, he turned on his heels and walked back into his apartment, slamming the door behind him. I quickly closed my door after him and stood in my kitchen only briefly before screams and shouts made me practically jump out of my skin. I knew it was coming from across the hall, but I couldn't make out what they were yelling about.

"Thank God for _wonderful _neighbors" I sighed sarcastically. One day of my lease down, 364 more to go.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Going out for a run was the best way to clear my head. **_

Ever since I was a little girl on the farm, I had always tried to find ways to run away from my problems. Whether it was on horseback or my own two feet, running had become a coping tool in my life. Lucky enough for me, I had found the perfect running path in my area of Savannah, one that cut through the town squares and the quieter parts of town. I hadn't learned about it through experience though, a classmate of mine had told me about it when I ran into him at the gym. Treadmills were just not cutting it for an outdoor girl like me so I was grateful for his local insight.

I got back to my apartment building about an hour later, just in time for me to start making dinner. The only time I hated the fact that I lived on the third floor was after I finished running, only because the elevator was always broken or occupied. I took the stairs two at a time, but paused when I heard the familiar voices of the gruesome twosome across the hall. They were yelling again, like always, this time about Merle's bike. Normally, I would have just ignored them and retreated to my apartment, but their front door was open and I dreaded having to pass them. When I finally made it to my door, I realized my concern was warranted.

"Look Daryl!" shouted Merle as he tipped a bottle of whiskey toward his lips. I had never been the drinking type, but it appeared that he practically lived off the stuff. Every time I had the displeasure of seeing him, he was lit like a damn Christmas tree. "Where's yer boytoy, darlin'? Want us to keep ya company?"

Turning to look at them, I took a brief glance inside their apartment. It appeared to have the same layout as mine, except theirs was dirty, littered in liquor bottles, guns, and all sorts of other things I had no desire to know about. There were boot prints all over their wooden floors and what looked like a pile of vomit by the couch.

"Thank you for the offer, sir" I replied politely, remembering that just because they looked like trouble, it didn't excuse me from being a lady. "But I usually prefer my company sober and showered." I gave them both a small, sarcastic smile before turning to let myself into my apartment, but heard Merle lifting himself off the bottle covered sofa.

"I'm sorry, but did I hear ya right, girl?" he called out as he came toward me, "I coulda sworn ya said somethin' about me bein' dirty? I can show ya how dirty a Dixon can be, right baby brother?"

"Leave 'er alone, Merle" Daryl reprimanded. I turned again so I could look at the man who was standing up for me only to find him grabbing the half empty bottle from his brother's hands and tipping it back himself. He wiped his whiskey coated lips on his sleeve before speaking again. "She's not even yer type, probably wouldn't know what ta do with it if ya dangled it in front of 'er face."

This made the older Dixon brother laugh hysterically and it provided me with a moment to escape into the safety of my apartment, but not before I shot the dirtiest look possible at Daryl and slamming the door. I kicked off my running shoes and left them by the door. I was too worked up to cook dinner so I opted to lay down on my own sofa in order to study for an upcoming exam. I was only about a chapter in when I heard and felt the loud classic rock music coming from the Dixons' apartment, accompanied by girlish laughs and _other _sounds.

Without thinking, I sprang from my couch and threw my door open. Placing myself in front of their door, I banged on it hard with my fists hoping to be heard above all the action on the other side. I heard bottles moving and a door slamming before Daryl opened the door.

"Haven't ya had enough?" he questioned roughly, leaning on the doorjamb. A sly grin came to his lips as he sipped from another bottle. "Unless ya'd like to come party with us afterall. We can be _real_ fun."

I couldn't hide my disgust at his insinuation. With my arms crossed over my chest, I glared at him angrily. "I didn't come here to 'party', Dixon" I hissed, "Can you and your floozies please keep it down? I'm trying to study for an exam." At that point, I honestly didn't care about being a lady, he was just trying to piss me off on purpose. And it was working. "Plus, girls like me don't party with men like you and your brother. Just keep it down, ya hear?"

I turned on my heels to huff back into my apartment before I felt a hand grip onto my upper arm. Daryl turned me harshly, making sure I faced him and locked eyes with him. "Ya don't know us, girl" he breathed as he closed the distance between us, "You don't get to pass judgments on us." Bright blue eyes were staring into mine as I took the image in. The smell of cigarettes, whiskey, motor oil, and sweat filled my nose and his roughness made my breath hitch in my chest. I had never been manhandled like that, at least on purpose. Granted, Jimmy had gotten tough with me in the past but only when he was angry at someone else and I had tried to intervene. I tried to pry his hand off, but he was much stronger than I was.

"Let me go, Dixon" I pleaded as I continued to struggle in his grasp. "You're drunk. Go back to whoever is waiting for you inside. I'm sure she doesn't like being kept waiting."

Looking up at him, I could feel the hurt in his eyes. He reminded me of a puppy that had been kicked by its owner. "At least I don't have to sleep alone tonight." he spat as he threw me backward toward my apartment, not violently but hard enough to get the point across. Daryl glanced at me as if waiting for something, then slammed his door once he didn't receive it. I heard a girl giggle behind the door and I walked back into my apartment, locking the door behind me.

* * *

It was eight-thirty after I finished studying for the night so I decided to call Jimmy, partly because I knew he'd make me feel better without having to tell him about what happened with the Dixon brothers, but mostly because I needed to. I knew that if I didn't, he'd get upset with me and that was the last thing I felt like dealing with. The familiar sounds of his voice played back immediately, which was unusual.

_"Hey, you've reached Jimmy. Y'all know the drill..."_

"Hey hun, it's me. Just checkin' in. Talk to ya tomorrow."

Once the line was dead, the alarm was set, and the phone was docked, I stripped down and nestled myself under the warm covers. I needed all the rest I could get before I started my job in the nursery at the church down the road. Since I only had classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I had been hired to work the off days. As I settled further into my bed, I thought of the day ahead, my exam next week, and Daryl Dixon...


	3. Chapter 3

_**I couldn't believe that prissy bitch...**_

She thought she could just come over here and tell us to keep it down? Didn't she realize who she was dealin' with? No one ever tried ta tell us Dixons how to behave anymore, usually 'cause people were too afraid ta come near us. Can't really blame 'em though, we were some scary lookin' SOB's. With Merle, what ya saw was whatcha got. He was loud, rude, and mean, and didn't pretend to be anythin' else. Me, on the other hand? I hated livin' this way. I hated seeing new broads in our apartment ever night. I hated watchin' Merle shoot up, and I _really _hated feelin' alone.

"Come on, baby" cooed the chick in my lap. I couldn't even remember her name. I knew it started with a "C". Was it 'Cheyenne'? No, Carrie-Anne. After a couple bouts, I gave up. Not like I really needed her name anyway. It's not like she would be there when I woke up. Her hips ground into mine as she picked up my whiskey bottle and brought it to her glossed and puckered lips. "Yer brother promised you'd be the fun one". As she placed the bottle back in my callused hands, she rolled her hips again and started kissin' my neck. Her voice was rough, and needy. "And you ain't bein' much fun."

Before I could react, I heard a loud 'smack' come from Merle's bedroom. In our place, I slept on the couch. Well, at least I did when Merle wasn't passed the fuck out on it. I could hear the girl cryin', then gigglin', and everything in between. I never knew how Merle found the girls he did. If I were a chick, he wouldn't even be a passin' thought.

Well, _I_ wouldn't be neither.

"Listen, girl" I breathed as my lady of the night started to unbutton my plaid, cutoff shirt. "Maybe you should go in their and see if they need your company."

Her face scrunched up at my words. "Nah, sugar" she replied with a grin. "Can't get rid of me that easily." Placing her hands on either side of my face, she brought my lips to hers and she kissed me. Hard. While I was a red-blooded man, I just wasn't feelin' it, or her. The cheaper the girl, the softer I was, at least at the beginning.

Once she got my shirt off my shoulders, she pressed kisses from my lips, to my cheek, down my neck, all the way down to my shoulders. Her lips sent shivers up and down my spine. Eventually my body betrayed me and reacted to her in the way she'd been looking for. She pulled her tight, lacy, tanktop off her thin and curvy body, then slowly moved down so her face was with my silver belt buckle. She got up from the couch, and bent over so her ass was in the air, removing my jeans as quickly as she could. What she found, made her grin. "That's what I'm talking about."

Whippin' me out, she took those glossed lips and wrapped me up in 'em. While in my head I wasn't there, my body had other plans. Before I knew it, my fingers were tuggin' on her hair and I was practically chokin' her. The gaggin' and whimperin' really got me goin, enough to where I dropped my head back on the couch and let my body slip into auto. I closed my eyes, imagin' her between my legs as I pumped my hips into her. It didn't take long until the brunette doin' the work slowly changed into that blonde across the hall.

The picture caught me off guard, but I couldn't shake it. She had fought back tonight and it had driven me nuts. The more I pictured her as the one goin' down on me, the closer I got, until I was ready to bust. Those bright blue eyes lookin' back as me as I lost myself in her. Havin' her on her knees in front of me. I couldn't imagine anything hotter. Pulling my mystery girl's head closer, I warned her and shot hot and fast, prying her head off me when I was done.

"I gotta get up early in the mornin'" I said with a yawn. I didn't really have anything to do the next day, but I needed her gone. And she definitely got the hint as she grabbed her shirt and headed into the other room. Maybe she'd have more fun with someone who'd use her AND abuse her. Turnin' onto my back, I propped my head up on the armrest, with my hands on the back of my neck. I stared at the ceilin' until I passed out cold.

* * *

The next mornin', I left early to go check some traps Merle and I had set out in the woods the day before. We ended up being lucky, nabbin' ourselves a couple of rabbits and a few squirrels. That'd be enough to last us the week until we could get back out there. I took longer than normal to get back to the apartment, hopin' those chicks were long gone by the time I got there.

That's when I saw her. Playin' outside the church with a bunch of kids. She was smilin' and running around chasin' after them and hidin' from them. She looked so...natural there. They gathered 'round her legs and hooked onto her as she played with them, but all I could see was that smile. It was warm, innocent, and real. I must have been there awhile because eventually she looked up at me, lockin' eyes with mine. While I thought she'd run, or make some ugly face, she stayed the same and just waved at me. No smile, no warmth, just straight lipped. I took off before wavin' back.

When I got back to the apartment, Merle was there alone, thank God. He was at the table shootin' up somethin' as I walked in with the game we caught. I had told him many times to not do that kind of stuff out in the public rooms, but he didn't care. He was Merle Dixon and he'd do whatever the hell he wanted to, whenever he wanted to. "Can't ya do that shit somewhere else?" I snapped as I put the critters in the sink for a washin'. "Ya know how much I hate it."

Merle just laughed and stood up, clearly finished with whatever he was up to. "Whatever you say, Darlene" he replied, dropping the used needle into the trash can. "Lighten up a bit, will ya? How'd things go with Carly go?"

"You know full well how things went, she ended up in your bed didn't she?" This was the last thing I wanted to be talkin' about. It only brought up _how _I'd gotten off last night, by thinkin' of that prissy, stuck-up, church-workin', bitch. Just seein' her at the Church was weird enough, I couldn't imagine what would happen if I saw her around the building.

"Yeah, but please say you got yours, little brother. She was hot! Woulda been a shame if you didn't get a piece of it."

I knew if I didn't reply, he'd only keep goin'. I had to say somethin'. "Her lips are alright. Knows how to use her tongue pretty good."

Merle clasped his hand on my shoulder. "That's my brother. A Dixon after all." He was grinnin' wildly. "Ya had me worried. Thought you were battin' for the other team for a minute or two."

I punched him in the arm, hard enough to get him off my back but soft enough to not start a fight. That's how we spoke, my brother and me. Through a bunch of punches, swears, and bottles. He left to go back to his room, leavin' me to skin and gut our meat for the week.

It was days like these that I _hated _bein' a Dixon.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The 6:30am alarm came too damn fast. **_

All night I was tossing and turning, trying to get my body to shut down and rest. Every time I would find myself in a comfy position in bed, my mind would wander to thoughts of my redneck neighbor and my body would twitch and move as if trying to shoo the dreams away. I finally fell asleep around two in the morning. Four hours of sleep were better than nothing. I rose from the bed and automatically jumped in the shower to wake me up. Why couldn't it have been any other day? Why did I have to stay awake the night before I started at my new job? Hell, I was going to be working with children all day and I was going to be beyond exhausted! The shower helped more than I thought, allowing me to wash me, my face, and brush my teeth all in one go while waking me up at the same time.

The mornings were the times I enjoyed the most in my new apartment. Usually when I woke up, the Dixons were still in bed, so it was impossible for them to be the aggravating thorns in my side that they usually were. There was no music, no yelling, no loud-mouthed women, it was heaven on Earth. Still wrapped in my terry cloth towel, I set the coffee maker and left it to brew while I went to get dressed. I heard the door across the hall slam shut, but I assumed it was their lady-friends letting themselves out. Merle and Daryl Dixon _definitely_ didn't seem like the morning cuddle type.

I settled on a bright blue, cotton t-shirt, khaki cargo pants, and classic black Converse, knowing that it was professional enough for the daycare but wouldn't restrict my movements. Working with kids meant I was always on the go, and I knew that having flexible clothes was a must. Back home, I usually worked in the nursery taking care of the parish infants, but since this particular church needed Pre-K teachers, that's where they placed me.

I chose to ride my bicycle to work, seeing as how the fall was coming and I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to enjoy the brisk air before it turned colder. There was an old, rusted out bike rack outside the Church, but I opted to chain mine to a nearby sign, fearing that the rust and decay would chip away at the paint job on my bike. Looking down at my watch, I saw that is was 7:27, three minutes before I had to be there. At least I was technically early.

Once I was all checked in and given a name tag, the nun in charge of the daycare, Sister Judith, brought me to the three and four year old area where kids were still being dropped off by busy parents. I noticed that one of the children belonged to my Childhood Development professor and waved politely before she took off for her first class.

When all the students were accounted for, Sister Judith clapped her hands three times and the room quieted. I definitely had to remember that particular trick. The children stared and waited for instructions as the nun walked over to me.

"Children, we have a new teacher for your class!" she explained happily, making sure to gesture to me. "Can you say 'hello' to Ms. Beth?"

As I waved to the class, all the children smiled and replied together, "Hello Ms. Beth!" I squatted down and smiled at the fifteen or so students. I always felt so at ease around children, which was partially why I wanted to be a teacher. They were bright eyed and nothing by smiles as Sister Judith walked away and was replaced by the other Pre-K teacher who would be working with me.

"You must be the new teacher!" the woman exclaimed. The look in her eyes appeared to be one of relief, more than anything else. I couldn't imagine having to take care of all those toddlers by myself like she had before I came here. She wrapped her arms around me and smiled wide. "My name is Lori, and you must be Beth. So wonderful to meet ya, hun." Lori's accent was like her own, slight, but definitely there. It was nice to feel so accepted within the first few minutes of my being there.

"It's time for outside play" she informed me, "Would you mind taking them outside? I just have to turn in the attendance sheet and then I'll be right with you guys. I promise."

"Take all the time you need!" I replied jovially as I turned to the kids. "Who's ready to go outside?"

All the children ran to the door excitedly while I followed. It felt nice to be around children again, it was one of the major things I missed about home. I opened the door and the class flooded out with me close behind. We decided to start with a game of hide and seek, and since I was new, I had to search first. Of course, many of them were hiding in plain sight, but it was the thought that counted. Once I "found" a majority of them, we were running and playing when one of the girls, named Mika, told me there was a "scary man across the street". Looking up, I was shocked to find the very familiar face of Daryl Dixon staring at me. Without so much as a smile (because why did he even deserve one), I raised my hand and waved courteously before he sped of on his motorcycle.

"Who was that Ms. Beth?" came the tiny sing-song voice again. "Don't worry, hun. He's just...a friend."

* * *

The whole day passed way sooner than I had anticipated it to. The only difficult part of the day was snack time, but with Lori's help we were able to pull it off much more simply than I had thought possible. As much as I loved my new job, I had never been happier to see my apartment as I was that afternoon. The only thing that risked ruining it was running into one of the brothers or, God forbid, both. Luckily enough for me, there wasn't a Dixon in sight.

When I got to my door, I heard soft bluegrass music coming from the apartment across the hall. Ever since I had moved in, I had never once heard them play anything in there but classic rock. The familiar twangs lulled me into a state of calm as I began to hum along. That particular song reminded me of long summer nights back on the farm, laying in the bed of Jimmy's truck as we looked up at the millions of stars. I couldn't help but wonder which Dixon was listening to it, so I chose to find out.

I knocked hesitantly and waited for someone to open the door, but for the longest time no one came. I knew someone had to be inside, so I knocked again but a little harder than I had before. I was getting ready to turn away and give up when Daryl opened the door.

"Something I can help ya with, princess?" he barked, his lazy southern drawl into full effect. I could smell the alcohol seeping from his skin as I tried to find words. Apparently, I took too long to answer because he growled at me again. "Can I do somethin' for ya or are ya just gonna stand there like an idiot all day long?"

As much as the words stung, I held myself together firmly. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked up into his eyes, looking for the same hurt I had seen in them the night before. Apparently the booze had washed them clean. "Why were you starin' at me today?" I questioned, surprised by the sound of my own accent shining through. "And is that you're music, or your brother's?"

Daryl's entire body stiffened once my questions were lingering in the air. "I wasn't starin' at cha" he answered curtly. When I looked up at him again, I could have sworn there was a reddish tint to his cheeks that wasn't there before. "And the music's mine, why?" He was clearly avoiding the subject from before, but I decided to let him since it obviously made him so uncomfortable. I couldn't help but smile softly at his response. "No reason" I replied shyly, "I just like it, is all. I have the same artist on my iPod."

He looked back into the apartment and then turned back to me. "You can come in, if ya like" he offered quietly. "I dun know when Merle'll be back, but yer welcome to stay till he does."

Did Daryl Dixon just ask me in? I rubbed on hands on my arms as I contemplated my choices. "That's really sweet of ya, but I should get to studying" I responded, a blush coming to my cheeks as I dropped my gaze to my feet. "Maybe some other time?"

He looked so...defeated by my answer. "Uh, sure. Some other time then." There was hurt in his eyes again, but it was different than before. I couldn't put my finger on it.

I smiled and quickly turned, letting myself into my apartment and shutting the door behind me. There was another side to that man, and I was determined to find out what it was...


	5. Chapter 5

_**When Merle came home that night, he was already gone.**_

I knew from the moment he took off his leather jacket and threw it on the couch. His arms were red and swollen where he'd shot up, probably with some other spaced-out chicks like the ones from the night before. I honestly had no idea how that dirty, rude as hell, sonofabitch was able to pick up so many girls. It was probably 'cause the girls he was chasin' were a little like easy pickin's.

The first thing he did was turn off my music. Even though we were rednecks through an' through, my brother preferred rock n' roll. Said it reminded him of sex with wild women and all the drugs he liked doin'. I always listened to Country music. I think it was 'cause they always sang about bein' lonely, an' it made me feel like someone finally got it. Merle certainly didn't, regardless of the fact that we were kin. He always wanted me to be like him, ridin' bikes, gettin' high, and shackin' up with a different whore every night. I had to admit though, I'd done my fair share of all that, but for some reason it just wasn't good enough for me anymore.

"I can't believe you listen to that sappy shit" my brother slurred. The fact he'd already been drinkin' was plain as the day was long. I don't know why I ever thought he'd change, why I ever thought one day everythin' would be different. I guess it was just my way of getting through the day.

"Sorry that I'm a real redneck" I huffed as I grabbed the bottle of Jack from the table an' took a giant swig. "Makes me think of different times."

Merle laughed, just like I thought he would. I don't know why I still tried to connect with him, why I hadn't just given up on him. I guess it was 'cause he's my brother, my only blood. He'd been the one to step in to take my lashes as a kid. He'd been the one who locked me away so our drunk bastard daddy couldn't get to me. He'd been the one to put me on the back of his bike and got us away. I owed him more that I wanted to admit, but we both knew what would have happened to me if it wasn't for him. "Gotta getcha to listen to _real_ music, Darlene" he teased, "What kinda woman is gonna wanna fuck ya if yer too emotional to get it up?"

I took another gulp of the firewater and slammed the glass bottle down on the tile counter. It shattered, breakin' into a million pieces, some of which were stuck in my hand. I pulled them out with my teeth and wrapped my hand in my dirty bandana so the bleedin' would stop. "Yeah Merle, because _real _women are too knocked the hell out to say no, right?" Grabbin' my leather vest and keys, I ran out the apartment and got on the bike, racin' as fast as I could toward the woods. If there was any place I wanted to be, it was out under the stars where no one could see me.

I picked a spot in a clearin about half-a-mile in, a spot that I went to a lot. Whenever I wanted to get away from everybody, it was the first place that came to mind. There was a tiny creek that ran through that part of the woods, and the sound of the runnin' water always had a way of calmin' me. Fallin' to my knees at the edge, I unwrapped my hand and dipped it into the cool water. It stung like hell, but it felt good in a way I couldn't really explain. After I was sure it was clean, I wrapped the wet bandana around my hand again and moved away from the water. After takin' off my boots, I rolled up my vest and propped my head up on it so I could watch the night pass.

But slowly my thoughts changed into _her_ again. They took on her face, her body, her voice. I thought about our moments earlier, like when I stopped in front of the Church that afternoon, or when she came to my door. I was shocked to see her there for a good reason and not just to bitch about somethin' we were doin' wrong. I'd been hopin' that she wouldn't say anything to me about the church thing. I had to lie to her, what would I have told her, "_Oh, yeah, I treat ya like shit but I stopped to stare at yer smile_"? No way. At least she had a decent taste in music.

Not gonna lie, I was kinda glad she didn't come in when I asked 'er to. I imagine her place looks much better than mine and Merle's. I bet she doesn't have used needles and empty bottles of booze all over the place, or piles of puke neither. I pictured her place to be warm and welcoming, with all sorts of books and shit, not disgutin' and scary.

Oh, but that body though. I'd seen 'er runnin' before around town, and boy did it do her good. Her legs were firm and her ass was just perfect. I could probably fit both my hands over that sweet rear-end she's got. She's not stacked like most of the girls I'm used to, but 'er tits are just the right size to me. They look like the perfect hand-full. God, and that voice. I'd given anything to hear her moanin' my name. Just the thought was enough to make me hard as a damn rock. Knowin' I was alone, I took off my jeans and jacked myself off to the girl next door. I had cut my left hand, which was lucky for me since I was a righty, and I grabbed myself hard, pumpin' even harder. I was imaginin' her face down ass up out here in the woods, beggin' for me ta fuck 'er. I finished pretty quick and passed the fuck out right after.

* * *

The next mornin', I got back on the bike and rode back to the apartment building. I saw that the truck was gone as I pulled up, which meant Merle was gone too. I was glad, only 'cause I didn't feel like puttin' up with his shit so early in the mornin. It was about seven, right around full day break. I usually didn't wake up 'til about noon unless I was goin' huntin' or fishin'.

I rushed up the stairs to my floor and noticed a note hangin' from my door. The shitty handwriting was definitely my brother's.

**_"Darlene, went huntin' with the boys. Be back in a few days. _** **_PS: Left ya some Tylenol and Jim for that PMS you're havin'. "_**

I crumbled up the note and threw it down the hall, only to notice that the girl across the hall had her door wide open. I knew she lived alone, so I put my hand on the knife on my belt and walked up to the doorframe to look for her. I don't know why I did, I just felt like I had to. Her apartment was everythin' I had imagined and more. She had drawin's on the walls, a fancy TV, and bookcases linin' the room. I couldn't spot her anywhere though. The next thing I knew, I was hearin' a soft voice coming from the back where her bedroom must be. She was sweepin' with her eyes closed, singin' as she went along.

_" Don't let this moment linger_  
_Now would be a real good time_  
_To reach out with your fingers_  
_And get 'em tangled up with mine "_

I'd never heard anything so beautiful in my life. Actually, it kinda reminded me of my momma. The softness and warmness in her voice sent me back to before my mom left us, to when she would sing us to sleep after long days of playin' out in the woods. When I dropped my head and looked at the floor, I saw a pile of dust and dirt at my feet and realized why she had the door open. She was sweepin' out the door and she was comin' right at me. I unlocked my door and threw myself inside before she could see me. As I was leanin' against the door, I could feel my heart racin' a mile a minute. I felt like sixteen year old boy playin' grab ass. I was old enough to be her daddy, for Christ's sake and the night before I was beatin' it the thought of her! I was worse than Merle...

Takin' a bottle of Bourbon out of the cabinet, I dropped myself down onto the couch and turned on my music. All I wanted to do was get lit and be able to forget about the past couple'a days. The liquor burned on the way down, but in a delicious sorta way. I was about to pass out when I heard a light knock at my door, just like the one from the day before.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Men never cease to amaze me, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. **_

After catching Daryl Dixon spying on me at work, and politely asking for a rain check when he invited me into his apartment to listen to country music, the solitude of my own apartment was oddly refreshing. Not that I wasn't surprised, or excited, by his offer, I was just put off by the idea of Merle eventually coming back. While the moment was fleeting, Daryl seemed like a completely different person when his older brother wasn't around. He seemed like someone I actually _wanted_ to get to know better.

Once I was back in my apartment, I plopped down onto my sofa and laid there for awhile. I couldn't decide on what to do that night. A classmate, Zach, had invited me out to one of the college bars around town, but I didn't feel like going. Plus, if I went, I knew Jimmy would get upset. Granted, Jimmy got upset about a lot of things I did, but going out to a bar with some other guy? That'b be practically begging him to come down here and take me home for good. It bothered me that he didn't really trust me even though we'd been together for so long. Even while I was still living at home, if a boy looked at me from across the room, Jimmy would go and "talk" to him about looking at his girl. I felt like more of a possession than a girlfriend.

As if by magic, my phone began to ring with that familiar Taylor Swift tune that had been set as Jimmy's ringtone. With a sigh, I grabbed the phone from the coffee table, set it to speaker, and set the phone on my chest. "Hey baby" I cooed, "What can I do for you?"

The background was full of noise like people yelling, bottles being broken, and louder than life Bluegrass music. Obviously he was enjoying his night out while I stayed at home. What else was new? "Can't I call just to hear my girl's voice?" he slurred, his thick country boy accent mixing with the effects of whatever he was drinking that night. "I've been missin' ya somethin' terrible." Usually I would have loved to hear Jimmy say such things, but his voice had a darker lilt to it and I knew where that was headed.

"Why didn't you call me before you went out?" I asked immediately. If missing me was so important, why did he have to wait until he was drunk in order to tell me? "Or you could have called me in the mornin'."

"Well I'm missin' you _right now_" he murmured sloppily. I could hear his breathing changing as he spoke. Apparently he was _that_ drunk. "Wish I was there with you right now, layin' in bed..."

I knew what he was trying and it wasn't working. Not only did I have way too much on my mind about school, work, and church, but in the past couple of days, I hadn't really thought of him. I didn't seem right to allow him to continue when we hadn't really spoken since he dropped me off. "Honey, I'm sorry but I'm not really in the mood for this" I placated. "I have exams to study for and chores to do. Plus I'm exhausted. Rain Check?"

That was the second rain check I had asked for in under 12 hours, from two different men. A new personal record.

"Aw come on, Beth..." he whined, "Tell me you don't wish I was there right now, touchin' on you, kissin' you." He never was one for getting the hint right away.

"Jimmy, I'm sorry baby, but I can't tonight." Honestly, it was a tad pathetic. Why couldn't he just take the word "no" at face value? He had probably been at his brother's house, drinking 'shine with their little posse, then got horny and decided to call. It wasn't the first time, that's for damn sure. And I knew it wouldn't be the last.

Immediately after I spoke I heard yelling coming from across the hall, only this time it seemed like Daryl was doing most of the yelling. That was incredibly unusual since it was usually Merle who got all riled up first. It wasn't long until I heard their door slam, which brought me back into my conversation with my drunken boyfriend.

"Are you even fuckin' listenin' to me?! Stop being such a goddamn prude bitch!" he barked at me, clearly upset by my lack of focus. However, the way he spoke to me was unacceptable and I made sure to tell him so.

"James Matthew Archer!" I cried back, "I am a lady and you will NOT speak to me like that. I hope I'm making myself clear!" I then proceeded to hang up on him and threw my phone into the cushions of my sofa. Deciding that I needed a change of pace, I got up and ran out the front door out into the hallway. As I knocked on the Dixon door, I silently prayed that Merle had been the one to slam the door and had left Daryl in the apartment alone.

No such luck. Soon the drunk bastard opened the door and leaned on the doorway, probably because he couldn't keep himself upright. "Well well well..." he chanted softly, "To wha' do I owe tha' pleasure, sugar?" Just the sound of his voice made my skin crawl. I understood then why they brought home so much trailer trash at night. They were the only ones dumb enough to fall for that grimy shit.

"I'm lookin' for Daryl" I replied quickly and somewhat timidly. He's eyes burned as I looked into them. They were similar to Daryl's but...darker and more menacing. "He around?"

Merle scoffed as he took a swig of what appeared to be moonshine out of a mason jar. It was obvious that he was hurt by the fact I didn't want to see him, but there was also a touch of jealousy in his actions. "Nah, sorry Blondie, but Darlene ran away somewhere" he snapped angrily, making me quake in my place. "Probably went ta go see that bitch he's been fuckin' for awhile. I wouldn't blame 'im. She's round and soft in _all _the right places."

His words creeped me out beyond a doubt and I crossed my arms. Why had I gone to their apartment? Why had I thought Daryl could help me feel better about Jimmy? What was he going to do? Listen to sad country music and mope with me? Tell me how dumb boys are and eat Ben and Jerry's with me? "On second thought, I have no idea why I'm here. Night, Dixon." I turned on my heels and retreated back into my safe and quiet apartment. Forgoing the studying, I grabbed my phone, noticing I had ten missed calls and twelve text messages all from Jimmy, and violently pushed in onto it's spot on the dock. Lucky for me, I didn't have class the next morning do to my professor canceling, so I didn't bother setting my alarm. I just stripped off all my clothes and threw them in the hamper before curling up in bed and succumbing to the tears that had been building behind my eyes for hours.

I finally turned onto my back and stared at the ceiling. Before they left, Maggie had helped me splash glow-in-the-dark paint on the plain white ceiling so it would look like stars. She said she did it because she knew how much I would miss the nights at home where we would climb out onto the roof and just watch the skies. Said it was her bringing a bit of home to me. The memory helped the tears stop flowing but then I thought about Daryl. Just imagining him made my lips curl up a bit. I pictured us sitting on my couch listening to George Strait, sipping my momma's county famous sweet tea. I shook my head to get the picture out of my mind and proceeded to try to sleep, a smile still etched into my lips.

* * *

The next morning I woke up a bit earlier that I had originally intended. Deciding to be productive for a change, I got out of bed and put on some old clothes so I could clean the apartment. There was dust and pieces of plastic and other materials everywhere from the move, but everything needed a good scrub and wipe down. I cleaned the kitchen counters, my bathroom (toilet, shower, sink, AND counters), my bedroom, everywhere. The last chore I had to do was sweep the floors and I was finished.

Taking the broom in hand, I realized I didn't have a dust pan. I had nothing to really fashion one, so I chose to sweep all the dirt out into the hall. If I did that, I could at least borrow the building's vacuum and clean it up, or call maintenance if I was feeling lazy. Grabbing my iPod from my hip, I scrolled through different artists and playlists until I found what I wanted. As I swept and moved about my apartment, the voice of Brandy Clark filled my ears as I worked. Momma used to call me Cinderella because I would sing while I cleaned to pass the time. It had always been a habit, one that I picked up from her.

I left the front door open and I worked my way from the back of the apartment to the front, making sure to sweep the living room last. I didn't want to clean the front because then I'd drag all the dirt from the back over the newly cleaned floors. When I was finishing up and sweeping the last bit out into the hall, I looked at the dirt pile and saw two boot prints embedded in it, only to look up when I heard the Dixon's door close. Was he watching me again? The thought made me blush and squirm a bit, which was slightly unwelcome.

Looking at the time, I noticed it was only eight in the morning. My stomach was rumbling due to all the work I had been doing on an empty stomach, but my head had an idea. Putting the iPod and headphones on the the table by the door, I stepped over my dirt pile and knocked on Daryl's door. I stood there, shaking in nerves, until he answered complete with signature liquor bottle in hand. Looking around his apartment, it seemed like Merle was out, which made my decision even easier.

"Mornin'" he greeted, his voice gruff and thick with alcohol and sleep. "Somethin' I can do for ya?"

When I looked into his bright blue eyes, I dropped my gaze quickly. I was never like that around men, not even Jimmy. I couldn't grasp what kind of hold he had on me. All I could do was nervously clear my throat and watch my shadow on the floorboards. "Mornin' Daryl" I replied sweetly. Maybe it was time to try to get to know him. Maybe it was time to do what Daddy always preached about in Church on Sundays. Looking up into his eyes once more, I felt the color rush into my cheeks, along with my nerve. "I was wonderin' if maybe you'd like to come have breakfast with me..."


	7. Chapter 7

_Daryl_

** _I couldn't believe my ears. _ **

She wanted me ta come ta her place to have _breakfast? _For the life'a me I couldn't understand this chick. I knew she had herself a man, well, a boy. I knew I had treated her like shit, and _she _came to ask _me_ over for breakfast? While I was leanin' against the door, lookin' down at her, I couldn't help but smile to myself as I watched her cheeks burn bright. "Sure" I said, a tad too quick as I shifted back onto both my feet. Taking a sip of my bourbon, I dropped it onto the table by the door an' pushed my way by her so I could close and lock up the apartment.

I followed her inside and left my dirty boots at the door. She smiled at me after, I guess she was glad I wasn't gonna ruin her nice an' clean floors. I was just glad I had remembered what my momma had told me as a kid about women and their cleanin'.

"Hope ya like french toast" she said quietly as she moved about her kitchen. She looked so natural, like she was floatin' from place ta place grabbin' different things. I hadn't had a woman cook for me in only God knows how long, and I had no idea how to act around a girl like that. I didn't even know I was still standin' by the door until she said somethin'. "Go ahead and make yourself at home, Daryl."

I nodded as I walked over to her counter, sittin' down on some barstool she had. Honestly, I had no idea how to make myself feel 'at home' in a place like hers. My whole life I'd been in dirty, beat down shacks in the woods. Hell, I didn't have a bed until I was around 18. Lookin' around only made me see how out of place I really was. She had art on her walls while mine had blood stains from fights with Merle. Her fridge was full of good food from the market while mine had beer and whatever meat we'd happened to catch. The only booze I saw in the entire place was an unopened bottle of wine on her counter while my cabinets were brimmin' with bourbon, whiskey, and 'shine.

"So why were you watchin' me again earlier?" she asked as she dipped pieces of bed into some egg and whatever else. I knew she was talking about when I came home that mornin', not the church. I ran my fingers through my hair before foldin' my hands on the counter. I didn't know whether to lie and say that I wasn't, or to tell 'er the truth and make her think I'm some creepy old man followin' her around.

"The door was open" I told her, lookin' down at my hands in case she looked at me. "I thought maybe someone had gotten in."

The smell of the toast began to fill the apartment and my stomach rumbled in reply. She must have heard because she giggled to herself while flippin' over pieces in the griddle. When they were finished, she put them on a plate and brought them over to a small table on the other side of the kitchen, only to walk away again to get a pitcher of orange juice and syrup from her fridge. Smilin', she crooked her finger at me, tellin' me to come with her to the table. I had never eaten at a table before, not really anyway.

"Well thank you for tryin' to save me from the dust bunnies" she said with another giggle. Usually if people spoke to me like that, I just straight up walked away. But somethin' told me it was okay when she did it, that she wasn't makin' fun of me. "Consider this your reward for a job well done."

"Anytime" I replied as I sipped my orange juice. It had been awhile since I'd had that without anythin' extra in it. I had only had french toast a couple'a times in my life, but they never looked like hers. They were fluffy and just browned enough on the outside, just like a picture. As I was cuttin' off a piece, she quickly put her hands over mine and smiled.

"Wait! I forgot somethin'!" she told me as she bolted from her chair. I watched her as she ran to the shelves, grabbin' two small bottles. I couldn't help but watch as her hips moved, as the muscles in her legs appeared and disappeared. I found myself lickin' my lips before I had even tasted breakfast. Maybe going there in the morning wasn't such a great idea...

* * *

_Beth_

_ **I couldn't believe my ears.** _

He actually said yes. Well, he said 'sure', but that still counted as a yes. After he locked up his apartment, I nodded toward my door so that he would follow me inside. I walked right into the kitchen to start breakfast while I heard him at the door. I was shocked when he stood there and took off his boots, leaving them off to the side. That was all the proof I needed, he _had _been watching me that morning as I was cleaning. Why else would he have stripped off his mud-covered boots?

"Hope ya like french toast" I said as I set to finding all my ingredients. While I was collecting everything I needed, I noticed that he stayed standing right by the door, as if he were waiting to be told he could sit down. Everything about him screamed nerves as I looked over at him and smiled. "Go ahead and make yourself at home, Daryl" I prompted. The last thing I wanted to do was make him feel uncomfortable. I was trying to do something nice and he just looked...scared.

When he finally sat down at the breakfast bar, I relaxed a little bit. I was kinda surprised at how quiet he is, only because of how crude he tended to be when I normally saw him. He didn't seem to have a problem speaking up if it was in a defensive manner. While I was mixing the eggs and milk together, I looked over my shoulder and saw his eyes bouncing around my apartment. From what I had seen of his from the door, we definitely had different styles in 'interior design'. I couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason he was being quiet. I had to admit, he did look a bit out of place, sitting in his leather in denim in my clean and colorful space.

It was when I was dipping bread that I got a bit more brave. "So why were you watchin' me again earlier?" I asked, purposely avoiding looking back at him. I could feel the heat in my cheeks as I heard him shuffling about, so I was glad I had something to preoccupy me. Cooking was like that for me, a temporary escape, and I absolutely loved cooking and baking for other people. When I lived at home, my momma had joked that she was going to move my bed into our oversized pantry just so I didn't have to go so far in the morning.

"The door was open" he replied softly, as if he were embarrassed. "I thought maybe someone had gotten in." The thought of him coming to check on me just because my door was open made my heart race. This man barely knew me, but he had come to my door to make sure that I was aright and safe? As I continued to make our breakfast, I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

That's when I heard _his_. I couldn't help but giggle to myself when I heard his stomach growl. I plated all the pieces and took them over to the small dining table I had bought when I moved in, and when I say 'small', I meant that it had two seats and a tabletop. I went back into the kitchen and brought out a pitcher of orange juice and syrup before I called him over to join me. I watched him as he walked toward me, unable to take my eyes off him. The way he walked just exuded confidence, his bare, muscular arms hanging by his side. I dropped my gaze to my plate when he sat down, quickly trying to think of something to distract me from my thoughts.

"Well thank you for tryin' to save me from the dust bunnies" I said with another giggle. "Consider this your reward for a job well done."

"Anytime" he replied, cutting into his toast. It wasn't until he was about to pick up the piece with his fork that I realized what we were missing. I placed my hands over his quickly to stop him. No french toast was complete without powdered sugar and cinnamon, so I quickly got up and went to the kitchen to grab some. As I was walking, I could feel his eyes on me, watching me as I collected what I had forgotten. I grinned to myself as I felt my hips sway a bit more than usual, as if they knew they were putting on a show.

My smile softened as I returned, coming over to his plate and sprinkling the two powders over his pieces. "Can't have french toast without all the fixin's" I told him. "It's just not the same."

* * *

_Daryl_

I watched her as she dumped some of the two different jars onto my toast. Havin' her so close put me off my game a bit. With her so near, my hunter senses perked up, particularly my senses of smell and touch. As she leaned over, her blonde hair fell and brushed against my cheek and I couldn't believe how soft it was. It was like silk against my tough, stubbled skin. She smelled clean, like flowers and somethin' sweet. It wasn't somethin' I was used to at all. Many of the women that had been around me and my brother usually reeked of booze, cigarettes, and other men. But not her. She was off in her own category, one I never knew existed until then.

I couldn't stop wonderin' why she was bein' so nice to me. I hadn't given her the best reasons to, but she did anyway. I had threatened her boyfriend, made fun of her, hell, she probably thought I was stalkin' her. What reasons did she possibly have for bein' nice to me? "Thanks for breakfast" I said as I cut myself enough piece. Why hadn't I had more french toast in my life? Maybe it was because it had never tasted like hers.

_Hers_. Panic shot through me. I didn't even know her name. I remembered when she moved in that her daddy had said it, but I couldn't remember it for the life of me. I just knew her as the girl across the hall, but she knew my name. How the hell was I supposed to ask her without seemin' like a jackass?

"Don't worry about it" she said, breaking me out of my thoughts again. "I'll cook for you anytime. I love having people to cook for." Fuck, she was so nice and sweet and I couldn't even remember her fuckin' name? I _was _a jackass. I couldn't just sit there, eating breakfast with her, if I didn't know her name. I had to figure out somethin'. Honesty had worked before, I chose the same path again.

"I'm not a jackass or nothin'" I started, grabbin' her attention pretty damn quick. The look in her eyes was one of nerves, like she was afraid of somethin'. "I didn't catch your name before. We weren't exactly introduced properly."

Instead of throwin' me out like I thought she would, she just smiled and laughed. Placin' her fork and knife on her plate, she brushed her hands on her legs and extended her hand to me over our breakfast.

"Nice to meet you, Daryl Dixon" she spoke sweetly. "I'm Beth Greene."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Six. Hours.**_

Daryl stayed over for the next six hours, and we didn't even realize that time had passed us by. After our more awkward than not breakfast, the rough-and-tumble man offered to stay and help me wash dishes, saying that it was the least he could do in return for my cooking for him. I insisted on him not helping, but we ended up compromising on him washing and me drying. I could tell how uncomfortable he became by being so close to me, but I kind of enjoyed it. His strong silence was something different from the people I had become friends with at school.

After we were done I invited him to stay for awhile, thinking that he'd reject my offer. I was pleasantly surprised when he didn't and dropped himself on my couch instead. Grabbing us glasses of Sweet Tea, I soon joined him and placed the glass in front of him on the coffee table. Looking over at him, I couldn't help but giggle to myself. He just looked so nervous! His hands were in his lap like he was afraid to touch anything and his body language was very rigid. Eventually he looked over at me and asked, "Wha' so funny, girl?"

"You are" I replied before sipping my tea. "If I knew asking to hang out with you would make you this uncomfortable, I would have let you go home."

"I'm not uncomfortable" he snapped, obviously trying to keep up his 'badass' persona. "I'm just not used'ta hangin' out with college girls."

Setting my tea down I turned to face him, pulling my legs up onto the couch and crossing them. "Then what kind of girls _do _you hang out with?"

It was his turn to chuckle, probably at my naivety. I could see a faint blushing in his cheeks as he answered. "Don't really _hang out_ with girls_._"

Feeling the flushing in my own cheeks, I dropped my head quickly so he couldn't see. Of course he didn't hang out with girls, I had seen the kind of women that went to his place. Well, I'd seen them leave on occasion. He must have seen my embarrassment, because he only laughed more.

"Usually it's chicks my brother brings home" he continued, trying to stifle his laughter. "One-and-done kinda chicks."

His last statement made me uneasy. I grabbed my tea hurriedly and sipped it, trying to get over my own mortification. The kind of company I usually kept never spoke about those kind of things so openly and I had no idea of how to respond. I couldn't imagine how that felt, to spend the night with someone different all the time.

"Sounds lonely" I finally said. He turned to face me, and his face was difficult to read. I couldn't tell if he was upset by my comment or something else. Instead of looking away, I took a moment to look at him, _really _look at him. While his demeanor and outward appearance screamed 'bad boy', his eyes said something different. His bright blue eyes were swimming with something I couldn't quite place. I could also see the bags under his eyes. He had barely noticeable wrinkles over parts of his face, and his skin was tanned like he spent a lot of time outside. He was handsome, in a rugged, mysterious kind of way.

"Can be", he replied, his voice quiet and serene. I could see he was relaxing while he leaned more into the cushions on my sofa and grabbed the tea I had set out for him. " I try not to think about it too much." And I could understand why. I wouldn't want to either. "So where's that smartass that was here when you moved in? Y'all don't live together?"

I sipped my tea and looked at him over my glass. "You mean my _boyfriend_?" I corrected, a bit more harshly than I had anticipated. I could tell he had noticed my tone because he straightened up a bit again. "Jimmy lives back in Ivey, down the street from my family's farm. I came here to go to school." My hometown was a couple of hours away from Savannah, but it was just enough of a distance where I could have my own life, where I wasn't "The preacher's daughter" or "Jimmy's girl".

With a smile, I played off the sinking feeling that was surging in my stomach. "Plus, I don't think my daddy would like us living together all that much." I explained. "Preachers don't usually condone livin' in sin."

Daryl 's eyes widened. "You're a preacher's kid?" he asked. "I need to stay as far from you as possible then."

I knew he was kidding, but I couldn't help but feel hurt by what he'd said. I was just getting to know him, but even the idea of quitting while we were ahead upset me. "Nah" I said cooly. "I'm just Beth. A normal, everyday college student. No need to be afraid of my God-fearin' Daddy."

"I ain't afraid of no preachers" he replied smugly, a grin twisting on his lips. "They just tend not ta like me all that much."

* * *

For the next few hours, we just sat on the couch and got to know each other. Granted, he told me a lot less about himself than I told him, but I took what I got. He told me a little about Merle, about how they had been all around Georgia and how they had just settled down in Savannah about six months before I arrived. Said it was the longest they had been in the same place since they were kids. I found out that he worked at an auto shop on the outskirts of town, and that he loved to be out in the woods, hunting and camping. He didn't tell me about his family, or friends, or much of anything past the basics. So I decided to matters into my own hands.

"Alright, what's your favorite country song?" I asked, knowing that he too had a love of country. "Everyone's got a favorite."

He sat there for a moment and I could tell he was genuinely thinking about it. I got up from the couch while I was waiting, to grab the Sweet Tea pitcher, and brought it over to refresh our glasses. Momma had always stressed being the perfect hostess when company was over. It was so engrained in me that I didn't even realize I was doing it half the time.

"Hurt" he finally said. "By Johnny Cash." He nodded in appreciation as he took a sipped of his newly poured glass of tea. "It's a strong song, meaningful."

Before I could say anything, he looked up at the clock on my wall and brushed his hands off on his worn black jeans. "I should git goin'" he told me, but he didn't really seem like he wanted to go. He stood up and grabbed our glasses, taking them over to the sink and placing them inside. "Thanks for the breakfast though, and the tea. Haven't had food that good in a long while."

I stood up and pulled down on the jean shorts I was wearing, crossing the room to meet him at the door while he put his boots back on. Honestly, I didn't really want him to leave. I had enjoyed our time together and I was sad to see it end. I couldn't help but feel guilty though, knowing my boyfriend wouldn't exactly be pleased if he found out I'd spent all day with the same man that threatened him. However, I noticed that my guilt didn't exactly stop me from what I said next.

"Would you want to hang out again tomorrow?" I asked timidly, fearing his rejection. I knew he was older, by nine years exactly, so I knew he probably had better things to do than spend time with some barely legal teenager. "We could watch a movie here, or I could cook us somethin'."

As he left my apartment and unlocked his door, he looked back at me over his shoulder. "I think I'd like that." My stomach flipped around like I was on some kind of roller coaster and I couldn't hide my smile.

"Goodnight, Daryl Dixon."

"Goodnight, Beth Greene."


	9. Chapter 9

_**That night, I dreamt of Daryl Dixon.**_

_We were sitting on my parents' front porch swing, me in his lap, drinking sweet tea as we watched the sun fall behind the forest in our back yard. The colors were almost ethereal, shades of gold, orange, and garnet dancing around patches of purple poking through the wooded darkness. His empty hand sat in my lap and I was pressing my back into his chest, his thumb gently sweeping over the exposed skin of my thigh. Leaning back, I could feel the tickle of his country-boy beard on my shoulder. I could also feel his heart beating into my back and it was racing just as fast as mine. _

_Wordlessly, he pressed his lips to my neck. It was chaste in nature, but powerful. Placing our glasses onto the railing of the porch, his hand moved from my thigh to my hair, weaving his fingers so he could hold me in place while his kiss became more needy and possessive. With the leverage he gained by grabbing me, he turned me to face him, my blues locked on his. Before I knew what was happening, he was turning my entire body to face him, causing my legs to straddle his. Palming either side of my face, he pulled me into him and I melted. Our lips thrashed against each other's with an almost hungry desire. One hand dropped down my neck, to my shoulders, and down until he reached the small of my back. My hips rocked against his as I craved to be closer, like I was trying to fade into him. _

_HIs rough and calloused hand fell farther, grasping at my curves, grinding into me with a desperation I didn't know he possessed. My moans fell onto his lips as they twisted into a knowing grin. Pulling me away from him, he palmed my breasts, causing my head to fall backward. The sounds of the crickets and hot Georgia nights surrounded us but soon fell away to lend way to his ragged breathing. His hands shook and my fingers gripped into his broad, muscular shoulders. I was coming apart under his touch but was quickly halted by the sounds of loud beeping. _

I woke up panting, and stuck to my linen sheets. There was a thin sheen of sweat over my skin, including a layer of wetness between my legs. Slamming the alarm off in frustration, I sat up and attempted to tame my wild hair. My body was trembling as I dropped back into the comfort of my pillows. For a minute, I felt a slight smile playing on my lips as I thought back to the already fading dream. I couldn't help but wonder what his lips _really _felt like, but was quickly absorbed by a pang of guilt. I had a boyfriend and I had just had an intimate dream about the another man. For a lack of better words, I felt like shit.

It was Saturday, so I didn't have work or class. Seeing that it was still morning, I hopped out of bed and got dressed in my running clothes. It had been a couple days since my last run and I was starting a feel a bit stir-crazy. I decided to forego the shower until I got back, so I grabbed my iPhone and headphones and rushed out the door, only to physically bump into none other than my redneck neighbor.

"Watch where yer goin', kid" he teased as he looked me over briefly. His grin reminded me of my dream and it caused me to blush.

"Sorry, Daryl" I said quickly, "Just goin' for a run."

"I can see that" he replied, his eyes still traveling over me. "We still on for later?"

My heart started racing in my chest. Was he actually excited about spending time with me? I knew I was, but for him to be the one to ask just made me feel like a giddy school girl. "Of course. You so much as try to blow me off and see what happens" I teased as I put in one of the earbuds into my ear. "Catch ya later, Dixon." I raced down the stairs and went on my running, disappearing into the Savannah cityscape for about an hour or two.

When I got back, I saw about four bags of trash sitting outside Daryl's apartment leaning on the wall. His door was open so I decided to poke my head in. It looked like a complete 180 from what I'd see the other day. There were no bottles on the floors, no trash whatsoever. I guess he noticed me looking because he came over to the door and leaned on it in his typical Daryl sort of way.

"I'm moderately impressed" I said with a smile. "Spring cleaning come early this year?"

"Nah," he replied while sipping a beer. Even while he was drinking he looked rugged and handsome. "Merle's out for the weekend, so I figured I'd take the time and fix up tha' place." So his brother was gone for the weekend. That didn't bother me at all. Peeking in, I made a playful grimace. "Y'all definitely need a woman's touch in this place. How do you survive with just a couch and a tv?"

Daryl laughed as he sipped again. "Don't really spend much time here, between work and my trips out into the woods" he explained. He looked over me and continued. "How's the run?"

"Too short" I said with a giggle. "Maybe you should come with me some time." The thought of running with Daryl was intriguing. He was probably thr kind of guy who was way into competition, which was alright in my book. Looking up at him with a smile, I shrugged. "I'm gonna go clean up now. I'll come by later and we can figure out what we're gonna do today, alright?"

He told me it was a plan, and I turned and went inside my apartment, beelining for the shower. I stripped and left the clothes in the hamper and quickly got into the warm shower. As I washed the run residue from my body, along with the mixture from the morning wake up call, I thought of the possibilities of what Daryl and I would do today. Luckily for me, my friend Sasha was able to save the day as usual.

**[text: Sasha] Hey girl! We're going to McGinty's tonight at 9! It's karaoke! Come with us!** **[text: Beth] hey! who all's going? ** **[text: Sasha] You know, Bob, Tyreese, Glenn, Judith, the normal bunch. You in?** **[text: Beth] Depends, can I bring a friend? ** **[text: Sasha] Oh, is Jimmy in town?** **[text: Beth] No, my neighbor. We had made plans for tonight and I don't wanna blow him off. ** **[text: Sasha] Is he hot? ;)** **[text: Beth] See you at 9! :D**

Throwing my bathrobe on, I ran across the hall, anxiously knocking on Daryl's door. "Oh Daryl!" I cood through the door, "I think I know what we're doing tonight! Open up!"

From the other side of the door, I heard him coming. "Hold yer horses, girl!" he yelled. "I'm puttin' on pants, so unless you'd like ta see me a bit indisposed, you'll give me a sec!" He threw the door open and began to say something before he laid eyes on me. With my crooked index finger I picked up his head and made him look me in the eyes. "Focus, Daryl" I said with a smile. "How do you feel about bars and karaoke?"

"I ain't singin'" was his only response, and I knew I had him. "That's fine by me. We'll leave here around 8:30. Sorry, but I gotta go get dressed."

And I could feel his eyes following me again, my hips swaying in his gaze. As guilty as I felt about my dream, his eyes on me made me forget everything like that.

* * *

The next few hours were spent on my getting ready. My hair was straightened and silky soft, my make up was applied, all I had left to do was pick what I was going to wear. I ultimately decided on a pair of dark blue jeans, a white low cut tank top, and my favorite leather jacket. I figured if I was bringing Daryl, I'd dress to make him comfortable. There was no need to ostracize him. I was putting my perfume on when I head the knock on my door. Looking down at my phone, I saw that it was 8:30 on the dot and I assumed that it was Daryl at my door. I slipped my heels on and sauntered over to the door, only to find out that I was right.

When I opened the door, I was amazed by what I saw. Daryl had forgone his trademark ratty jeans and had put on a nice pair of black ones, coupled with an open black button down with a white tshirt underneath. While he still looked like Daryl, I couldn't help but smile wide at him. "Well someone cleans up well" I chided, letting him inside. That's when he looked at me. There was this energy in his gaze, the same energy he had when he were on my couch the day before.

"Right back at 'cha, girl" he replied, his eyes still pouring over me. With a bright smile, I grabbed my bag and nodded toward the door to indicate to him that we should leave. We walked down the stairs in silence as we got out front of our building into the cool Georgia night.

"Do you mind driving?" I asked timidly. "I don't have a car and I don't think the two of us will fit on my bike unless you ride on my handlebars." I couldn't help but giggle at the image in my head of Daryl riding around on top of my handlebars.

Walking over to his motorcycle, he swung his leg over the side and dropped into the seat. I walked over and stared for a moment, not wanting to tell him that I'd never ridden a motorcycle before. "Don't you have a car or something?" I asked, a bit of nervous energy obvious in the tone of my voice.

He laughed at my question and shook his head, his longer brown hair dancing over his cheeks. "Sorry, darlin'. It's the only transportation I've got at the moment." He looked into my eyes and chuckled again. "What are you, _scared_?"

I narrowed my eyes at his challenge and threw my leg over the bike in reply, holding onto his shoulder for support. He handed me a helmet and helped me strap it on. Grabbing my hands, he wrapped my arms around his waist and turned to smile at me. "Hold on, Beth" he instructed. "And don't let go."


	10. Chapter 10

_**That girl was gonna be the end of me. **_

The second I wrapped her arms around me, I knew I was in trouble. She had gripped onta' me so tight I could barely breathe. Not gonna lie, I kinda liked it. She was so nervous when I brought her over to the bike but with one challenge she had pulled up her big girl pants and mounted like a pro. That, mixed with the outfit she had picked out for the night, made her look...different. For a split second, she wasn't what I had taken her for. She was strong, brave, and just a bit hotter because of it.

Having her that close to me made me feel weird, just like it had back in her apartment when we were doin' dishes. I could feel her helmeted head between my shoulders as her arms held onta me for dear life as I pulled out of the tiny space where I usually parked. Kinda made me laugh that she was so scared and we hadn't even taken off down the street yet. She had told me where we were headed, along with the fact that we were meetin' up with some of her friends from school. If she'd told me that earlier I probably wouldn't have gone, but I had already agreed and real men didn't go back on their word, especially with girls like her. From what she'd told me back in her apartment the day before, she'd had lots of guys let her down and I wasn't eager to join the ranks.

I felt her arms loosen around me once we were drivin' for a while. I guess she started to like the free feelin' you get when you're on a bike. I could feel her relax but her head was still resting on my back. She was stayin' close to me 'cause she had to, not 'cause she wanted to. I had to keep remindin' myself of that.

Once we got to the bar, I backed into a spot slowly and leaned the bike on the kickstand. "Stay put for a second" I told her as I dismounted. "I'll help you down." Carefully, I undid the helmet strap beneath her chin, lettin' myself enjoy the feeling of her soft skin underneath my rough fingers. She pulled the helmet off and it reminded me of those old movies I used to watch with Merle when we were kids. Her blonde locks just fell past her shoulders in a beyond hot, messy kinda way. She ran her fingers though her hair tryin' to tame it and I couldn't help but wonder whether or not her hair looked like that in a just fucked sorta way. I shook the thought from my head as I grabbed onto her arm to help her down from the bike. Both her hands grabbed onto my shoulders as she jumped down, her smile a mile wide.

"We've got to do that again!" she laughed as she tucked strands of hair behind her ears. She looked up at me with those bright blue eyes of hers and her smile only got wider if that were even possible. "But next time, remind me to tie my hair back, alright? Now, come on! Everyone's probably already here." She grabbed me by the arm to drag me inside behind her, but I pulled away on instinct. I didn't like bein' dragged anywhere, even by a hot blonde. I knew she caught on though 'cause she gave me a look that screamed 'sorry' and nodded toward the bar instead. If Beth was anything, she was hella perceptive.

Inside was nothin' like I pictured. It was obviously a college bar, with popular music playin', people dancin' (if it could even be called that), and drunk girls galore. I couldn't help but grin as I thought of how jealous Merle would be if he found out I was surrounded by his favorite prey. Even though drunk girls weren't my thing, I'd still pretend to have enjoyed it, just to rub salt in that fucker's wounds.

I followed Beth to a table where she was greeted by drunken yells and hugs all around. I stood off to the side, watchin' as she made her rounds but what really surprised me was when she came back to me and put her arms around my waist. "Everyone! Meet Daryl, my neighbor. Daryl, these are my friends." Soon people were gettin' up and comin' over to me to introduce themselves proper. There was Sasha, Beth's best friend from home who had moved to Savannah with her to go to school, Glenn, who was entirely too drunk already, Bob, Sasha's boyfriend, Tyreese, Sasha's older brother who was _still_ younger than me, and Judith, who's mom apparently worked with Beth down at the Church. As everyone went to sit back down, Beth carefully grabbed my hand and led me to sit next to her on the booth, leavin' me on the outside. I wondered if she knew that's where I preferred to be, or if she did that so she could sit beside Sasha. Probably the second.

A couple of hours later, the kids were pretty hammered. They'd passed around a couple of bottles of tequila until Beth decided she wanted somethin' else. She was pretty drunk herself, but she was that cute, giggly kind of drunk that usually annoyed the shit outta me. She stood, wobbly of course, but declared she was goin' to the bar to get herself another drink. I offered to go for her, but I shoulda known she wouldn't stand for that.

"I can get my own drinks, Dixon" she said with a giggle as she tried to be all tough, "but thank you for bein' such a gentleman." Her Southern Belle accent was thicker now that she was lit, and it made me want to laugh at her. There was nothin' hotter than a beautiful girl with a southern drawl. Before I could even get up from the booth, she was shimmin' over me, her nice firm ass rubbin' against me as she left. I could feel myself strainin' against my jeans but I was able to calm down before Sasha scooted nexta me.

"So you're Beth's neighbor?" she asked with a slur, "The one with the brother?" I instantly straightened up at the mention of Merle. Did that mean that Beth talked about me to her? I felt my cheeks get hot, but I hoped Sasha was too drunk to notice. But her next sentence was like she was readin' my mind. "She talks about you, you know" she said, a smile comin' to her lips. "I keep telling her to get rid of that asshole back home, but she won't listen. Guess it's because they've been together for so long. She's afraid of starting over."

I was about to say somethin' when a familiar song began to play, making me cringe. I'd heard "Sweet Child O' Mine" more times then i'd cared to, it bein' one of Merle's favorite songs. I was about to take another shot when I heard the table yellin' and hollarin' at the stage, making me turn to see Beth beneath the spotlight with a mic in one hand and a glass of somethin' in the other. She was obviously drunk, leanin' on a stool as the music played and swingin' her hair softly before she sang.

Her voice poured over me like none I had ever heard before. Usually I hated any form of rock music, mainly because of Merle and our ol' man, but I my eyes were fixed on her as she belted with no hint of holdin' back. It was so different in comparison to when I'd heard her singin' in her apartment, it was wild and loose and fun, while before it had sounded sweet and tame. As she the last part, I swore her eyes were holdin' mine.

_Where do we go,_ _ where do we go now? Where do we go, Sweet Child O' Mine!_

When she was finished, the bar was roarin' with applause and yellin', especially from our table in the back. Handin' the mic off to the girl waitin, she started to walk back to us. I couldn't help but feel bad for whoever had to follow her. She had made the bar her bitch with just one song, and everyone knew it. Apparently there were people who paid too close attention to her after.

I saw her practically bein' pinned to the bar by some guy around her age or maybe a little older. Watchin' made my blood boil and I couldn't reason why. She was my neighbor, she had brought me to have fun, not to be her protector. But I just couldn't help the feelin'. Sasha was soon in my ear to explain what was goin' on.

"That's Zach" she whispered, probably unable to speak any louder due to how much she had to drink. "He's in our Anatomy lecture and practically worships the ground she walks on. She can't stand the guy though, finds him agitating." And that's all I needed to hear.

I nodded at the table as I saw a very drunk Tyreese attempt to go over to her, tellin' them I'd handle it. Plus, I was way more intimidating than any of them, especially with how drunk they were already. I quickly made my way over to them and saw the look of relief in Beth's eyes as I neared. Quickly, she pulled me to her, holdin' my hand and wrappin' her arms around my waist.

"Zach, have you met my boyfriend?" she asked, lookin' up at me with eyes that begged me to play along. "Daryl hun, meet Zach. We have class together." I nodded in the boy's direction as he drunkenly sized me up.

"_This _is _your_ boyfriend?" he asked with a laugh. "Thought he was your babysitter or something." I must have tensed in anger because Beth squeezed me tight and kissed my cheek, which really caught me off guard.

"Nope, definitely my boyfriend. But I guess he's babysittin' me tonight, right baby?"

I played along, wrappin' my arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about nothin' darlin', I'll keep ya safe like always."

Zach finally got the clue and said goodbye to us as we walked back to the table, our arms still around each other. I had to move my arm to her waist to keep her from fallin' on the way back and she was all smiles when she slid in next to Sasha and demanded more shots. I would have thought nothin' about what had happened if I hadn't felt her hand slip onto my thigh like she was holdin' me to her. While I had been regrettin' comin' that night, I was glad I had. I protected her, kept her safe from someone she obviously didn't like bein' around her.

And I didn't plan on stoppin' any time soon.


	11. Chapter 11

_**The next morning, there was a ringing in my head that just wouldn't quit. **_

As I shifted under the covers, I realized that I was still dressed in what I had worn out the night before. I wracked my mind, trying to figure out how I'd gotten home, when I'd gotten home, what I'd done while we were all out. The last thing I remembered was sitting with the group in our booth and taking tequila shots with Daryl once everyone had dropped out for the night. If there was one thing Daryl could do, it was drink. If the previous night had been a contest, Mr. Dixon definitely would have taken home the gold medal.

Looking over at the bedside table, I saw my phone laying next to two Aspirin tablets and a glass of water. Whoever brought me home last night was definitely considerate. I just had to figure it out so I could thank them properly. After taking the medicine and gulping down the entire glass of water, I laid back and wondered about how I had gotten home. There was no way Daryl brought me back on his bike, but everyone else was way too drunk to drive me. Had I taken a cab? Had I called another friend to come get me? My thoughts shifted to Daryl. I made it a point to stop by his apartment later to check on him, but at that moment all I wanted was a shower.

While I waited for the shower to heat up, I wrapped the towel around my chest and finished up in the bathroom as I washed my face clean of all the leftover makeup I had slathered and streaked across my face. Surprisingly, there was a decent amount of eye make-up still left, which meant that I hadn't cried, well hopefully. With everything going on in my life, I was proud that I didn't have a tremendous breakdown in front of everyone.

Once I was done, I went over to my bed and inspected my phone. I was shocked to see that Jimmy had called around 3am and that call was followed by six more and five text messages asking me to call him. I decided I'd worry about Jimmy later, not really being in the mood to talk to him in the first place. I was sure he'd tell me what we spoke about whenever I got around to calling him, but for the moment? I needed food.

I walked out into my kitchen, still wrapped in my bath towel before I noticed I wasn't alone. If I hadn't turned and seen him, I probably would have screamed. There laid Daryl, with a pillow and blanket, all tucked in on my couch. Looking at the clock on the wall, I noticed it was past noon which meant that I didn't need to hurry because I'd already missed Church. Quietly, I snuck back into my room and got dressed before I went back out to make breakfast, but he was already waking up by the time I got back.

"Afternoon, Daryl" I said cheerfully, feeling better now that the ringing in my ears had subsided. Honestly I was a bit worried that he was sleeping on my couch instead of his apartment across the hall, but I was sure there was a decent reason. I just needed to get him up and figure that out. "Want a cup of coffee or anything?"

My questions were met with low grumbles as he pulled the blanket over his head. I could see that his jeans were still on, which made me feel a bit better about the situation, but his boots were off and sitting by the door like the other morning. I smiled at the thought.

"I mean it, Dixon. Rise and shine!" I placed the mug of hot coffee on the table, along with two Aspirin tablets for him. I knew he'd had a lot to drink the night before, and if he was anywhere near my level at the bar, he'd need the medicine too. Grabbing my own coffee, I sat in the padded chair that matched the rest of my living room set and watched as he shifted in his fabric cave.

"How're you so damn cheery?" came a gravely voice that made me laugh. He was definitely feeling it the same way I had when I had gotten up. "What time is it anyway?"

"Around 12:30, nothing major" I replied, sipping my coffee as he sat up and stretched. I noticed his black button down was gone, leaving him in his jeans and white t-shirt. I hoped that it had nothing to do with me, but odds were it did. "There's aspirin on the table for you, coffee too."

Yawning, he reached over and grabbed the medicine and coffee, drinking them down quickly as if the coffee were water. He placed the mug back onto the coffee table and wrapped the blanket around him as he sat looking over at me. His clear blue eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was shooting off in all different directions. If I hadn't been sipping my own coffee, I would have smiled awkwardly at the adorable sight.

Setting my mug down, I cleared my throat. I needed to know what had happened, especially why he was in my apartment over night. Hopefully he had the missing pieces to the puzzle I had been trying to figure out for the past hour. I had never blacked out before from going drinking and the thought of not consciously remembering my night made me a little uneasy. I smiled at him and began my inquisition.

"Mind telling me what happened last night after our round of tequila shots?" I asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "And most of all, why were you knocked out on my couch?"

The grin that came to his lips didn't make me feel any better. "Well, let's see" he began, obviously enjoying tormenting me. "After the rest'a them tapped out, we kept goin' shot for shot for a little while. Lasted longer than I thought you would, girl. Gotta hand it to you. Once we were finished with that, we needed to get ya home so I got us a cab, carried ya and put'cha inside. My bike is still there, hopefully."

I breathed a little easier knowing that he hadn't driven home drunk on the motorcycle. I grabbed my coffee again and nodded to him so he'd continue filling me in on the events of our night.

"We got back here and I carried ya in here, then your boy called. Got pretty heated, too. Apparently, he was upset that you went out without telling him."

I scoffed as I cocked my head to the side in surprise. "How'd you know that?"

He looked down and twiddled his thumbs. "You had it on speakerphone."

"Shit."

Chuckling a bit, Daryl continued. "Oh, it gets better, girl. Trust me. Y'all got into it pretty bad. You told him that he didn't own you and that you could do whatever you damn well pleased, if memory serves. Then ya told him it was over and hung up on 'im."

I choked on my coffee. "You've got to be kidding..." He had to have been. I wouldn't have broken up with Jimmy, especially over the phone...would I? I ran my fingers through my still straight hair and sighed as I dropped my head into my chest. I found it difficult to breathe. After about five years together, had I really gotten drunk enough to end things like that? "Explains the calls and texts." I mused reluctantly.

"Yeah, he's a persistent son of a bitch, I'll tell ya that." Daryl replied. "But every time he called or wrote you, you laughed and said it felt good to not worry about him."

That still didn't explain why Daryl was sleeping in my living room. Regardless of what had happened with Jimmy, had I done something with Daryl? I couldn't have. If we had done _something_, wouldn't I have woken up to him in my bed? Unless we didn't make it that far...

"Okay, and why were you sleepin' on my sofa?" I asked, my voice shaky and timid. I was more afraid of that answer than anything else.

"You asked me to stay" he replied, his voice equally as quiet. "You tried ta get me to sleep in bed with ya, but I turned ya down. Promised I'd stay on the couch until ya woke up. You even got me a pillow and blanket from your bed so I'd be comfy. I had planned to leave after ya had knocked out, but I fell asleep. Do ya know how comfy this couch is?"

I laughed at his question and it was laden with relief. I was glad that nothing had happened between me and Daryl, but I still felt like I had made a fool of myself. I let myself sink back into the padding of the chair as I hung my legs off the armrest. From that position, I was staring straight at him and I couldn't help but smile, regardless of how bad I felt.

"I'm guessing that was you who left the aspirin and water by my bed?" I asked, the smile still playing on my lips. Just the thought of him being so caring and considerate left my stomach in knots and tangles. He nodded as he leaned forward and got up from his place on the couch.

"Thought ya'd need it" he said quietly. "You weren't exactly that good at takin' orders last night. Y'er one hell of a stubborn woman." As he spoke, he folded the blanket he'd used and placed it on top of the pillow, moving it to the farthest end of the couch. Then he grabbed his mug and brought it to the sink, washed it, and put it in the rack to dry. His manners seemed so out of place based on our first interaction, but the more time I spent with him, the more of a gentleman he became in my eyes.

"What happened to your shirt?" I asked as I stood and finished the rest of my coffee. I brought it to the sink and repeated the process Daryl had done before I heard him laugh.

"You did. Had to throw it away after whatcha did to it. There's no way I woulda gotten the smell out."

I blushed, hard. I had no idea that I had gotten sick, but I'm glad he wasn't upset about it. Well, at least he _sounded_ like he wasn't upset. I made up my mind that I'd buy him a new one to replace the one I ruined, and turned to face him, my body leaning back on the counter.

"I am _so_ sorry" I said with earnest. "I really shouldn't have drank that much."

Daryl smiled as he walked to the door and put his boots on. He looked much more comfortable in my apartment than he had last time and it made me feel so much better. "Don't worry about it" he said kindly. He winked while he spoke again. "What are boyfriend's for?"

I laughed at the memory much harder than I anticipated. I remembered Zach cornering me after I sang on stage, and I remembered Daryl coming to my rescue, pretending to be my boyfriend so Zach would leave me alone. There was just something about that kid that didn't sit well with me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

As he opened the door, Daryl turned and smiled at me. "By the way" he said softly. "You have a beautiful singing' voice." And with that, he was gone. I didn't hear his door open or shut, so I assumed he went to go back to the bar to get his motorcycle. It wasn't for another ten minutes or so that I heard a knock on my door.

"Did you forget something?!" I yelled while I opened the door, but who was there caught me completely off guard. My heart began to race and I could feel my stomach churning like I was going to be sick.

Jimmy put his hand on the door frame and leaned in close to me, the smell of alcohol pouring off every inch of his body. "Who woulda forgotten somethin'?"


	12. Chapter 12

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you are bothered by domestic abuse situations, please skip this chapter. Thank you in advance.**

_**I had never been more terrified of Jimmy in my life. **_

He threw himself through my door, forcing me to shuffle backwards away from him. His eyes were burning with anger and his breathing was alcohol laden and ragged. He looked like a wild, rabid animal, so much so I thought he would start foaming at the mouth at any minute. I could feel my blood pumping through my veins and I could hear my heart racing. He had never been this angry before, not at me anyway.

"Wanna tell me why ya felt it necessary to break up with me over the fuckin' phone?!" he screamed, tears beginning to fall from my eyes. His hands gripped onto my arms and pushed me backward toward the kitchen counter, pinning me to the tile counter. "After five fuckin' years you're gonna treat me like that?!" Jimmy's entire body was shaking while his fingers dug further into my skin. I knew there would be bruises after and judging by the force in his grasp they'd last for at least a week.

"Jimmy, calm down!" I pleaded, my eyes clouded over with tears. I tried to rip away from him, but his hold on me was too tight. It was obvious that he'd been drinking through the night and had probably decided to drive to my apartment early that morning. How he'd made the trip in that state was beyond me. I found myself wishing that Daryl hadn't left, knowing that he could have protected me. As I attempted to look Jimmy in the eyes, my voice grew shaky. "I was drunk last night when you called!"

"So tha's some kinda excuse?! That you were wasted?!" He finally released me, pushing away from me to pace inside my apartment. I could feel myself exhale like I'd been holding my breath the entire time. Adrenaline still coursed through me as I mentally prepared for him to come at me again. I looked around for anything that was easily within my reach, just in case.

Sighing, I looked at him and saw his pain. While I was no where near happy with him, I pitied him. Jimmy looked like he'd been run ragged, probably from the bender and couple hour long drive. I tried to put myself in his shoes. How would I have felt if I had called him only for him to drunkenly break up with me?I knew I wouldn't have reacted in nearly the same fashion, but I'm sure the pain would have still been there. Taking a deep breath, I decided to speak to him again, only more calmly.

"No, that's no excuse" I placated. I knew if I agreed with him that he would calm down. Not that I didn't sincerely agree with him, being drunk wasn't any excuse for my actions, but I tried to sound as sincere and remorseful as humanly possible. "You're right, I shouldn't have done that over the phone. That wasn't fair."

Quickly, Jimmy turned on his heels and stared right at me, his icy gaze burning holes through me. My pulse picked up as I watched him cross the room and plant himself before me again. "Ya mean ya shouldn'ta done it at all!" He had cornered me again, pressing his tense and sweat covered body against mine. "You're mine, Beth. You've always been mine."

Before I could do anything, his lips were on mine in a fit of sloppy rage. My hands flew to his shoulders in attempts of getting leverage to push him off, but I couldn't. I began to cry again as his lips moved to my neck and his hands roamed over me. "Jimmy stop!" I screamed, "Get off me! I want you to leave! NOW!" But he just clasped his hand over my mouth to shut me up. I did the only thing I could think of and bit it square on the palm. He yelped in pain, pulling away from me after slapping me across the face. That was the last straw.

"Jimmy, get the fuck out of my apartment!" I commanded. He had done some pretty fucked up things throughout our relationship but he had never struck me and that was the breaking point. I was done being his rag doll. "Leave and never speak to me again! Get out before I call the police!" Angrily I stalked over to the door and threw it open, pointing my hand out the door.

He stood there for a moment in what looked like a state of shock. His fists unclenched and his jaw relaxed as we walked toward me. "Beth I'm sor-"

"No! You don't get to be sorry, not this time!" Using what little strength I had, I pulled him out the door and deposited him into the hallway. Pulling my cell phone from my pocket I locked eyes with him, showing him I meant business. "Now leave, or so help you God." With one last lingering look, he took off down the hall and practically barreled into someone. In my rage I didn't notice who it was until I heard a familiar southern drawl curse at the impact.

When Daryl looked at me, it was as if a fire had been set under him. He ran over to me and looked me over, focusing on my now bright red cheek and the bruises that had begun to set into my pale skin. His blue eyes poured over me as if looking for other injuries. "Wha' the fuck happened?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. Pulling him into my apartment, I slammed the door shut and began to sob uncontrollably. I fell to my knees and soon felt his hand on my shoulder. "Was that yer asshole boyfriend that ran inta me in the hall? Did he do this to ya?" All I could do was nod as I tried to catch my breath. I choked on the words that I was able to utter.

"We- we're thr- through" I spoke weakly as I watched him squat down so he was looking me in the eyes. He gently moved my head to the side so he could look at my face before looking at the bruising from his fingers digging into my arms. I was a broken, crying mess but he pulled me into his arms anyway, holding me on the floor of my apartment while he tried to console me.

"Shhhh" he whispered in my ear as I choked on sobs while leaning against his broad chest. He brought his hand to my head and stroked my hair as he let me cry. "I'm here, and I'm not gonna let anythin' happen to you. Ever."


	13. Chapter 13

_**I don't think I've ever cried more in my life. **_

After what happened with Jimmy that morning, and after Daryl held me, to say I was confused would have been the understatement of the century. In the matter of a few minutes, my life had completely changed. I had devoted five years of my life to my relationship with Jimmy. I had put up with the yelling, the drunken come on's, and millions of other things that I never imagined myself tolerating. But the second I felt his hand whip across my cheek, I just couldn't do it anymore. That was one thing I _refused _to tolerate.

When Daryl pulled me into his arms, it was like I melted into him. My sobs were uncontrollable and the tears didn't stop flowing for what felt like an eternity. I expected him to leave, but he just sat there holding me, running his fingers through my hair, telling me I was safe. Suddenly, he placed one arm against my back and the other beneath my knees and carried me to the couch, placing me on it gingerly as if he were afraid to break me even more than I already was. Taking the blanket from where he had folded it only an hour earlier, he draped it over me before getting up and going to my kitchen, only returning once he had a glass of sweet tea in hand.

I was amazed at how delicate he was with me, a girl he'd only just started to get to know. He acted like taking care of me was second nature, almost like breathing. Daryl sat next to me as I laid on the couch and moved so my head was in his lap. All he did was let me cry as he continued to stroke my hair, telling me everything was going to be alright. While the situation seemed far from 'alright', I took solace in his words. I felt safe with him there which was what I needed. I couldn't help but think that Jimmy would be back at any moment to finish what he'd started, but I felt better knowing that Daryl was there. If how he was acting was any indication, he wouldn't let Jimmy near me if that were to happen.

However, I couldn't help but wonder why. Why was Daryl being so nurturing to me? It was _far_ from what I had expected of him, especially if I was going off of first impressions. I thought back to the day I met him, realizing it had only been a couple of weeks since then. He had seemed so cold, so guarded. Why was he taking care of me? I was sure he had other things to do, why did this matter so much to him?

When I was finally able to stop crying long enough to talk, I asked him just that. Why? I looked up from his lap and looked into his eyes, knowing mine must have been red and swollen from the crying fit I was still trying to get over. I couldn't tell what I saw in his eyes. It was some unknown, masked emotion that I never had encountered in him before. It was almost as if he'd done this before, like this was nothing new, but there was something else in his gaze that I couldn't read.

Still stroking my hair, Daryl breathed in deeply and held his breath for a moment. It took him a second, but he finally spoke and what he said was something I'd never forget. "When I was a kid, my dad used'ta beat my mom" he said softly, as if just the words themselves were like daggers in his heart. "Used'ta beat 'er black and blue, just 'cause he felt like it. I was always too small to stop 'im." His hand stilled with his palm on my forehead and he looked like he was deciding on whether or not to continue. My heart broke for him in an instant. All I could see was child-Daryl, hiding in some corner while he watched his father abuse his mother, his bright blue eyes full of fear and tears. I could feel the tears welling up again in my own eyes, but he quickly brushed them away with the pad of his thumb.

"After, when he'd leave'ta go drink with the fellas, I'd go and try ta take care of her. Merle always stayed away, but I couldn't. She was my momma, ya know?" Searching his eyes again, I could pinpoint the emotion that I wasn't able to name before. It was pain, pure pain, as if he were reliving every second of his past by being near me. "All I was ever able'ta do was patch 'er up with a bandaid or two and hug her, tellin' her that one day everythin'd be ok."

Gently, I sat up but remained as close to him as I could. He had a conflicted expression set onto his face, like he was debating something within himself. He took another deep breath and dropped his head onto the couch so he was staring at my ceiling. In an act of consolation, I placed my hand on his forearm, only to have him tense but relax soon after. "What happened to her?" I asked timidly, afraid of both upsetting him _and _his answer.

He didn't look at me, but after he took yet another deep breath, he closed his eyes and continued. "One day I was comin' home from school and there were firetrucks and ambulances racin' past me. Took me a moment to see that they were goin' to my house. My mom had fallen asleep in bed smokin. Half the house caught before the trucks were able to put it out. Merle said she was probably drunk, but I never found out for sure." My free hand covered my mouth in shock. Not only had Daryl opened up to me, but he had told me something so personal, and so sad, I couldn't help but feel bad. While my dad had been pretty hard my me, he'd never been violent to anyone let alone my mom. I couldn't imagine growing up and seeing that everyday.

Daryl pulled his arm from underneath my hand and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked...angry. "I don' need you to feel sorry fer me" he said gruffly, his voice dripping in painful memories. "I don' need yer pity. Never needed anyone for tha' matter." He went to get up put I gripped him tight, my eyes begging him not to leave. There was this quiet moment between us, our eyes locked on the other's and my hand still holding onto his arm. I felt this almost electric current pulsing through the small physical connection, and was happy to see him regain his seat next to me.

"I don't pity you, Daryl" I spoke softly, my hand remaining where it was. "I just wish you hadn't experienced something like that. No one deserves that."

He didn't say anything in reply, just sat there with my hand on his arm. That moment of calm was something we both needed. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind when he found me. Did he flashback and see his mother on the floor? Is that why his ability to care for me and nurture me was so innate? He'd gone into autopilot and now I knew why.

Before I knew what I was doing, my hand moved from his arm and cradled the side of his face, turning his head so he would face me. I breathed in deeply and moved, closing what little gap had been between us and pressed my lips to his softly. When he didn't pull away, I kept massaging his lips with mine, feeling him slowly begin to return my small display of affection. With every movement of our lips, I tried to absorb his pain, like I was trying to cure him from the inside. When he finally pulled away, he sat there staring into my eyes for what seemed like eons. The pain in his eyes seemed to disappear almost instantly, the brightness returning from what had resembled pale steel.

He had come to my rescue on more than one occasion, and it was finally my turn to save him.


	14. Chapter 14

_**I was beyond entranced. **_

As I looked into Daryl's eyes, it felt like our lips had never parted. There was this ghost sensation settling over mine, along with a blush tinting my entire body a soft shade of pink. My stomach was in knots and my heart was climbing into my throat. I had no idea what had come over me when I pushed myself to him, but I was glad I had. Since our breakfast together, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him, hell, I even dreamt about him. That fact that he kissed me back was just icing on the cake.

Dropping my gaze into my lap, I smiled to myself and caught my lower lip between my teeth. Even with everything that had happened that night with Jimmy, along with my emotional breakdown in Daryl's arms, all I wanted to do was kiss him again. It was a desire that fogged through my head and overtook me. My entire body sang with a desire that I couldn't dissuade and it didn't help that I could feel his ragged breath falling on top of my hair. My kiss had affected him too, I knew it had. I was only proved right when I felt him move toward me again.

Before long, his slender fingers had dragged against my collar bone and settled on my neck, pulling my head up so I was forced to look him in the eyes once again. The blue rings of his eyes had been engulfed by black and his eyes kept dropping to stare at my lips. There was a softness in his touch, but his need was evident. He wanted to kiss me again, he _needed _to, but he continued to look at me as if he were waiting for permission to do so. All I could do was smile at him, and he took that as the permission he'd been so desperately begging for. When Daryl moved toward me, I expected his lips to ravish mine but they didn't. His kiss was just as soft as mine, and was every bit needy as I thought it would be. He moved his fingers so they were woven into my hair and pulled me into him. Following his lead, I moved so I was straddling him, my fingers wrapped around the back of his neck. Our lips moved together like they's been made to. Every move his made, mine followed.

The longer we spent exploring each other's mouth, the rougher our kiss became. I felt his arm wrap around my waist, holding me to him, keeping me there as if he were afraid of my pulling away. My hands were gripping into his shoulders while his tongue massaged mine in a beyond delicious way. Even being in a relationship for five years before that moment, I had _never_ been kissed like that. I had never felt so needed, so wanted. Every swipe of his tongue made me feel like I was a goddess and he was paying homage in the only way he knew how. He'd told me about his experience with women. He'd told me how on nights where he'd fallen asleep with someone, he'd woken up alone, and that's if he even slept with them at all. I knew this kiss was different for him just as it was for me and there was no better feeling in the world.

I didn't even realize that my hips were grinding into his until I felt him harden beneath me. When I noticed, I couldn't help but grin into our kiss, something he noticed immediately. He pulled away just enough that I was able to look at his face, a smile creeping onto his lips as well. "Somethin' funny?" he asked, his voice playful but rough. His hand grazed down my neck, over my exposed shoulders, and down my waist until it settled into the small of my back, his thumb dragging over my thin shirt repeatedly. I giggled in reply and pressed my lips to him softly. "No, nothing funny here" I responded, the smile still tattooed onto my lips. "Just taking it all in, that's all."

With the hand that wasn't on my back, he tucked strands of hair behind my ear and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to my cheek before pulling me into him. My head was resting on his shoulder and I could feel his heartbeat through his chest as it began to resonate in my own. I stayed there for what seemed like forever, committing everything about him to my memory. He smelled like motor oil and the woods. His skin was rough, tanned, and calloused. His muscles, taut and firm. Daryl felt like everything a man should and I lost myself in his hold on me.

After awhile I pulled back and he made a face as if he were upset by the sudden loss of contact. That only made me smile again. "I have no idea what came over me" I admitted, the blush returning to my skin. "Kissing you was definitely not part of my plan. At least not tonight." When his smile perked up, I knew I was in the clear.

"Oh so ya had a plan, didja?" he asked, his southern drawl causing the butterflies to awaken in my stomach again. He pressed his lips to mine and questioned me in between each individual kiss. "What. was. yer. plan. exactly?"

I put on my best carefree face and shrugged. "I don't know. Didn't exactly have one. Why do you wanna know?"

"Wanna honest answer?" I nodded and waited patiently, my fingers curling into the hair draping over his neck. "I asked 'cause last night you asked me to kiss ya when I brought ya to your bed. I just couldn' do it. Not with you like that."

Even though I was beyond embarrassed by the fact that I couldn't even remember asking him to kiss me, the fact that he hadn't taken advantage of me made me smile even more. He had saved me from Zach, he'd taken care of me when I was sick, and now he'd saved me from Jimmy. Daryl Dixon was becoming the knight in shining armor I'd always read about in my books, even though I'd never imagined my knight wearing leather and cut off flannels.

Without thinking, I pressed my lips to his. I needed to show him how grateful I was for him, how much I wanted him, how much I felt like I needed him. My tongue brushed over his lips before he took it into his mouth and massaged it with his own. The kiss was harder than I expected it to be but I loved every second of it. I loved how he squirmed under my hips when they began to rock again. I loved how his fingers gripped my hair to keep my head from moving away. I loved how his desire drove every single one of his actions. I didn't want it to end.

Between kisses, I breathed his name to get his attention. He pulled away, resting his forehead against mine. "I'm sorry" I whispered. "I didn't mean ta-" I quickly stopped his fears with my finger against his lips.

Looking into his eyes, I kissed him softly and slowly. I had made up my mind and there was only one thing I wanted. "Stay with me?"


	15. Chapter 15

_**I needed him to stay. **_

As I stood from the couch, my fingers intertwined with his, Daryl's eyes wouldn't leave mine. I stood there for a moment letting the comfortable silence blanket us as he contemplated my request. His eyes spoke volumes in that brief time about his obvious desire, his fear, his confusion. Seeing that he wasn't going anywhere, I sat on the coffee table, my knees nestled between his legs and our hands still clasped in the other's. Bending down, I placed a soft, gentle kiss onto the top of his left hand, which was enveloping my own. It was a simple gesture, but it still made enough of an impact to cause him to smile. In order to alleviate his hesitation, I smiled back warmly.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you to" I whispered, as if I were afraid of my confession lingering in the air. With my flushed cheeks and tousled hair, I pulled one of my hands back and rested it against his neck. "Please?"

Just sitting there staring into his eyes sent delicious shivers down my spine. Our breaths were heavy in the desire laden atmosphere of my apartment and I knew for a fact that my heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest in any way possible. The longer we sat there, the more nervous and scared I became. If he truly wanted to give in to my request, why did he keep waiting? I couldn't tell if it was because of everything that had transpired that afternoon already, or if was just because of his own fears. Ultimately, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Kissing him again, I stood and gently tugged on his arm, indicating that I wanted him to rise from my couch. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held myself to him, my head resting against his chest. I could hear his excited heartbeat clear as day and it made me blush once more. I looked up at him with doe-eyed innocence but kept my facial expressions the same. In a low voice, which turned out to be much more sultry than I intended, I continued my pestering. "Don't you want to stay with me?"

The second the words left my lips it was as if a switch had been flipped inside him. Pushing me away from him a bit, he captured my head in his strong hands and pulled me up to meet him as he attacked my lips with his. The kiss was different than before. While it still had the desperation and necessity that it originally displayed, there was this carnal desire that seeped from every movement. Before long he was pushing me backward and I knew where he was leading me. As we passed over the threshold into my bedroom, Daryl walked me directly to my bed, only stopping when my calves made contact with the footboard.

During our pilgrimage from my living room to my bedroom, the intensity of our kiss only escalated. With his thumbs on my cheeks and his fingertips gripping into the back of my head, he caught my bottom lip between his teeth, eliciting a soft moan in return. My body felt like putty in his hands as he lustfully palmed my breast, dropping his lips to my neck and kissing every hollow he could find. Every pressure caused my breath to hitch in my chest and I could feel him grinning against my skin. Shakily, I moved my hands from around his waist to hem of his shirt, tugging at it to alert him that I wanted it gone. He pried his lips away from my neck and removed the t-shirt, allowing me my first real look at him. His chest and stomach were cut, pronouncing every muscle he had. He was tanned from what I figured was being out in the woods and his chest had random scars appearing. I couldn't peel my eyes off him.

Moving forward, I began to cover his chest in soft, sensual kisses. His fingers wove themselves into my hair as my lips travelled across his skin. Every muscle tensed at my feathery touch, causing an almost growl to form in his throat. My adoration didn't last long before he pulled back and pulled my shirt off over my head. Before we could lose ourselves again, I gripped him on the back of the neck and kissed him passionately as I pulled myself onto my bed with him in tow. He leaned onto his right side, pressing against my left, and brought his left hand up to my chest, massaging me over what little cover I had left. My moan fell onto his lips and he grasped harder, rougher, rubbing his thumb over my nipple with just the cloth as a thin barrier. I hardened quickly under his firm touch and arched my back in order to push my chest further into his hand. Even while kissing me he chuckled and dragged his lips over my jaw so that he was kissing the delicate skin below my ear.

"Impatient, ain'tcha?" he asked, his words barely above a whisper. I could feel my core tightening at his words, desire pooling deep within me. Jimmy had never spoken to me like that, ever. Sexual encounters between him and I were usually very passive and were never as hot as what I was experiencing with Daryl. His Southern lilt was dark and heavy with lust and my body was reacting in every way it possibly could. I tried to form words to respond to him, but a soft mewl was the only sound to escape my lips. Apparently, it was still a suitable answer. "Darlin' do you want me to keep goin'?" he implored. "Can't promise ya I'll be able ta stop, especially when ya make sounds like that." I nodded aggressively, still incapable of forming words. There was no way in hell that I wanted him to stop, I needed him to keep going or I would have lost it.

Accepting my non-verbal agreement, Daryl grinned impishly at me as I felt his hand come around to my back, unclasping my bra only to yank it off and toss it to the floor. His rough fingers kneaded into my breast as his lips took in the other. Licking me, sucking me, _biting _me, I was slowly unravelling in his hands and as soon as he could tell, he stopped, regardless of my silent pleading gaze. He continued to press kisses down between my breasts, over my stomach and across my hips before his hands came to the waistband of my jean shorts. With one quick movement, he'd flicked the button from it's place and pulled the zipper down, exposing my soft green panties beneath. He sat back on his heels and his eyes drank in the sight of me before he reached and began to pull down my jeans, my hips rising to aid him in his endeavor. Once I was laying there, he reached back into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out his wallet, only to throw it onto my nightstand.

Once again, Daryl's eyes poured over me, making me squirm under his predatory gaze. His devilish smile returned as he watched me and his hands massaged my thighs as he pulled my legs apart. I was practically panting by that point, my chest heaving with every attempted breath. My desire coursed through me like a bullet train as my lidded eyes tried to focus on his. "Please Daryl" I begged, my voice sounding raspy and oozing with need. I needed something, a touch, a kiss, anything really. I was desperate for anything he'd give me and that's exactly where he wanted me.

"Please wha' Darlin?" he drawled, his grin still stuck to his lips, "Tell me whatcha want." His fingers danced down my thighs ever so delicately, burning into my skin as they went. "I have a feelin' but I need you ta tell me. Just so I'm sure."

I rolled my head back at his touch, my hand moving so it was between my legs. He wanted to toy with me and it was working. Every atom in my body craved him, every inch of me crying out and begged for attention. His hand caught mine and he tsked softly. "I don't think so, girl" he said, "If yer a good girl and tell me whatcha want, I might be inclined to give it to ya."

"I need you" I whispered as I was unable to breath properly enough to speak. "Please. Anything. _Please_." I had never begged for something like that in my life, mainly because I'd never felt such a strong need for any man's touch. The only thought rolling around in my mind was that I needed release, but I needed it from him.

"Well, since ya asked so nicely." Before I knew it, his head was between my legs and his fingers were pulling the fabric away from my hips. Dragging his tongue over my slit, I moaned loudly, dropping my hand onto his head an weaving my fingers into his hair. Looking up at me, he brought his flattened tongue over me again, causing my hips to buck. Instead of licking again, he dipped his tongue into me and flicked upward, stimulating me further. He lapped at me hungrily, probing me with his tongue before he brought his fingers to my opening. Delicately, he pushed one digit inside of me while still suckling my clit, the sensation causing me to grip onto him harder. I noticed that the harder I pulled, the harder he went, as if my actions were what was driving him on. It wasn't long before he inserted another finger, effectively stretching me around him.

I could feel the familiar heat flooding through my body, alerting me that I was close. He read my body as if we'd done this a million times and sped up, crooking his fingers at my G-spot in addition. Pushing my head back, I gripped onto his hair and pulled his head closer (as if it were even possible) and violently came, my body practically convulsing. Every nerve ending in my body felt like it was flaming as his name repeatedly fell from my lips like the most solemn of prayers. I rode out the wave of ecstasy only to be surprisingly sad when I felt him pull away from me.

Leaning over me, he grabbed his wallet again, removing a foil packet from it's folds. Placing it between his teeth, he quickly undid his belt buckle, popped the button, and dropped the zipper before dropping both his pants and his boxer briefs from his muscularly cut hips. Pushing my head up from my pillow, I took a moment to look at him. While I'd felt him straining against fabric while we were in my living room, I had underestimated his size. I'd only ever slept with Jimmy, and he wasn't exactly well endowed, but Daryl was long and wide. Just looking at it, I knew it would hurt but I didn't care. I needed to feel him, I needed him to find his release like I had.

Ripping open the packet, Daryl rolled the latex over his length and eyed me for a moment. I could only imagine the sight he was taking it. I knew my hair was a mess, but in that 'just came' kind of way, and I had felt the blood rushing to my skin causing me to turn a shade of delicate pink. He looked down at himself for a moment and back at me, his lips curling in a dastardly sort of way. "Ready?" he asked, he voice low. I nodded and he soon pushed himself so his eyes were above mine. With one hand on my hip and the other on the pillow beside my head, I moaned loudly as I felt him plunge into me. He quickly pressed our foreheads together as he rocked his hips slowly, allowing my body to adjust to him. Our lips were millimeters apart and we shared air as he quickened his pace.

It wasn't long before I could feel him nearing his end and I raked my nails over his back, passing over more scars before settling on his hip. I gripped into him as I rocked mine upward to meet him thrust for thrust and I could see in his eyes that it was what he needed to send him over the edge. Whispering my name mixed with multiple profanities, he finally released into me and collapsed on top of me. Our chests were heaving as we tried to catch our breath, and he slowly removed himself from me and rolled onto his back. He removed the condom and got up from the bed, depositing it in a trash can by the door, only to get back onto the bed with me.

Pulling the covers down, I shimmied my way and nestled inside, my body to weak to move. "Get in" I said softly as I pulled the blanket down, indicating I wanted him to join me in my sated relaxation and he obliged, turning us both onto our sides and molding our bodies together. I wiggled in his strong arms, my fingers laced with his and his nose was in my hair as he breathed me in. Daryl soon followed me into a deep, comfortable sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

_**I had never felt so hot in my life. **_

When I came to, I had Beth's tiny arms and legs wrapped all around me, heatin' me up like no other. We were still naked, our bodies still pressed together and she was still asleep. Lookin' down at her, I couldn' help but smile. Her blonde hair was everywhere and her breathin' was calm and even. She looked so peaceful compared to how I'd found her a few hours before. After what she told me about what happened between her and her good-fer-nothing boytoy, I had seen red. While I was furious, I stayed to take care of her, to protect her in case he came back. What had ended up happenin' had been unexpected to say the least.

Slowly, I pried myself outta her grasp and got off her bed to grab my jeans from the floor. Her grumblin' when I finally got up made me wanna laugh, but I stayed quiet to let her sleep. As much as I wanted to stay in bed with her, I had to move 'cause I wasn't used'ta cuddlin' with girls, especially ones like Beth. Crossing over her hardwood floors, I went out into the livin' room and sat down on her couch, runnin' my fingers through my hair. It was Saturday night, meanin' Merle would be back in little over a day and that my vacation from 'im would be over. I had enjoyed the past couple'a days, mostly 'cause of the time I had been spendin' with Beth, but I knew once Merle was back that everythin' would go back to the way it was before. She wouldn' wanna see me when Merle was around, not that I blame 'er.

I looked at the clock that hung on her wall and saw that it was around six in the evenin'. We'd been sleepin' for a few hours and I was starvin'. Pickin' up her phone, I ordered us a pizza and went back into her room to find her still asleep. I leaned in the doorway and watched her for a second before I started to feel like I was a creepy old man. I could see the bruises on her arms from when that asshole had grabbed her and it only made me angry again. If I hadn't left to get my bike, I would have been here, I would have been able'ta keep her safe. While I knew that him showin' up had been a total fluke, I couldn' help but feel responsible. If I had waited just a bit longer, nothin' would have happened to her. Story of my life.

Before long Beth was rollin' around in bed like she was tryin' to find me. Her arms were grabbin' at the side of the bed that I had been on and the thought warmed my heart a little. I quickly moved back to the bed and sat down, placin' my hand over hers and for a minute, I coulda sworn she smiled.

"I was wonderin' where you went" she said, causin' me to jump a bit. I had thought she was still asleep, but apparently I had been mistaken. Her Southern Belle accent was definitely more noticeable after we spent time together, it made her all the more cute in my eyes. She opened her eyes and looked at me, her face serious. "I thought that maybe you had..." I knew what she was gettin' at, but it didn't make it any better to hear.

"Nah girl" I replied as I dropped down and kissed her forehead softly. "I was just hungry, 's all. I ordered us a pizza, if that's alright with you."

Beth wiggled her body so she was next to me, her small body wrappin' around me. She was still so warm, and naked, but she looked so beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off 'er. I stroked her hair and her smile just got bigger. "It's like you read my mind, Dixon" she said warmly. "I'm so hungry I could eat one of those creatures you pull outta the woods." I narrowed my eyes at her and she just laughed as she sat up and stretched. Judgin by how quickly she pulled the blanket around her, she had forgotten that she didn't have her clothes, which made me laugh. "Mind waitin' for me out in the living room?" she asked quietly. "I just wanna put some clothes on."

I left her room and went into the kitchen. I found that she'd left the sweet tea pitcher out and poured us each a glass. As I stretched out, I could feel tiny pains shootin' down my back. Wrappin' my arm around my side, I could feel small scratch marks running down my side and it made me grin. What had happened with Beth was completely different from anything I had ever done with any other girl. Granted, it was hot and just a bit rough, but it had also been more. I don't know how it was more, I just knew it was. I was leanin' on the counter, thinkin' about how it felt to have her underneath me, when she finally walked in, wearing her short jean shorts and my tshirt from earlier.

Jumpin' up onto the counter beside me, she grabbed the second glass and chugged it quickly. "Hope you don't mind, but your shirt was the first one I saw" she explained, her cheeks reddening as she spoke. I smiled at her as I sipped from my glass and shook my head. "Nah, you look cute it in" I replied before I realized what I had said. While I was enjoyin' spendin' time with her, I didn't know what was goin' on between us and I didn't want to push her one way or the other. I had never spent time with a girl after we'd hit the sack together, and I had to admit I had no idea what to do in such weird, unfamiliar territory. Plus, she had only been single for less than a day, and I was sure that the last thing she wanted was some old man comin' onto her.

Before she could say anythin', the doorbell rang and I quickly went to go pay for our meal. When I opened the door, I realized it was Beth's friend Glenn who I'd met the other night.

"Oh, hey Daryl" he said awkwardly as he handed me my pizza. "I didn't know you'd be here."

Beth came and snuck around me, pokin' her head out the door so she could say hello to her friend. "Yeah, we were just getting ready to eat and watch a movie. Thanks for gettin' it here so fast, Glenn." Once I handed him his money, and he had said goodbye to both of us, he was gone leavin' me and beth alone again. She grabbed the pizza and brought it over to the kitchen, tellin' me to sit down either at the table or on the couch and she'd bring out our food and drinks. I wasn't used to girls like her, ones that had manners and that were sweeter than sugar. As soon as I plopped down on the couch, she was there sittin' next to me and passin' me my slices and tea.

I could get used to night like that, but I wasn't getting my hopes up any time soon. It would come to an end just like everythin' else, but this time I felt like fightin' just a bit more to hold on.


	17. Chapter 17

_**I didn't want him to leave. **_

After our post-hookup pizza dinner, Daryl and I sat on the couch and relaxed a bit. We still hadn't spoken about what had happened earlier, not that he seemed incredibly eager to do so, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. It had all happened so quickly. One minute I'd been a tragic, bawling mess on my apartment floor, and the next we were together in bed, panting as we tried to catch our breath. It had been so...carnal. I had never felt more desired in my life. The way his eyes fell over every part of me, the way his rough fingers had gripped onto me, everything was different from what I had been accustomed to. I never thought I could let loose like that. Maybe it was a bit of Daryl's careless influence.

Leaning back so I was resting against the plush armrest, I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at Daryl. Even while he was just sitting on the sofa with his arm draped over the top, there was this guarded look to him. His eyes were practically being swallowed by dark, black bags, and I could also see a few more wrinkles than I did before. He had a few different tattoos that caught my attention and I made a mental note to ask him about them later. Without his shirt on, I could see the scars my fingers had brushed over earlier. They hadn't felt as bad as they appeared in the light of my living room. My heart ached for him without even knowing why. I wanted to ask him about them, but I opted against it, waiting for a better time when we knew each other a bit better.

Then it hit me. I barely knew that man. While we'd been spending _a lot_ of time together over the past few days, I still didn't know much about him apart from what he'd told me after breakfast that first day he'd come over. He hadn't told me much about his family, or his friends, or even himself for that matter. All I knew was that he liked Johnny Cash. As I stared at him, I tried to figure out the enigma that was Daryl Dixon. My mind raced from thought to thought, from where he could have been from to what he wanted from life. I wondered what his favorite food was, what he did in his free time apart from hunting, fishing, and tinkering with the bike. I wondered if he thought of me when I wasn't around like I had begun to do about him. He must have noticed me staring because he spoke up soon after.

"Somethin' on your mind?" he asked, his tone quiet and reserved. He shifted uncomfortably in attempts of covering his scars with the back cushions on the couch. I mentally cursed myself for staring, knowing I'd have to explain myself sooner or later.

"What's your favorite color?" I asked, trying to show him that I had the purest of intentions. I could visibly see him relax again, his chest deflating and his eyes began to shine again. I had never had to work so hard at learning about people, usually because the people I surrounded myself with were open books like me. Daryl, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He had this mysterious aura surrounding him that I couldn't help but want to get passed. I wanted to know everything and anything about him, I wanted to connect with him more than I already had.

He smiled for a moment and turned his head to face me. "Green" he replied slyly, winking as he spoke. I hung my head in embarrassment as I thought about the panties that were still on my bedroom floor, my cheeks turning the brightest shade of crimson. Noting my bashfulness, he continued. "Ya know, there's a certain shade I like too..."

Before he could finish his thought, I took a nearby pillow and chucked it at him, only for him to catch it before it hit him. We laughed together before he threw the pillow back at me, which I didn't catch, and I clutched it to my body.

"Why'dja ask?" he implored, his eyes riddled with genuine confusion. It was as if no one had ever thought to ask him before.

"I just wanna learn about you" I explained. "I wanna get to know you. Is that so bad?" I smiled warmly at him until I noticed he wasn't smiling back. He turned his head so he was facing the ceiling again and sighed.

" 'm not really all that interestin' " he said softly as he continued to avoid my gaze. "Haven' done much in my time except drink, fix cars, hunt, and deal with my dumbass brother."

Sitting up, I moved closer to Daryl and sat right beside him, my palm resting on his thigh. "I'm sure that's not true" I said warmly as my thumb glided over his jeans. With as much time as we'd spent together, I couldn't understand why he felt this way about himself. When I was around him, he made me feel safe and invincible, like I could handle anything. When we'd went out with me friends, he'd stood by me and took care of me even though he had no obligation to. The more I saw of Daryl Dixon, the more good I found in him.

Daryl finally turned and looked at me, pain filling his eyes again. "Yeah? How the hell do _you_ know?" he asked, his harsh tone catching me off guard. I pulled my hand back before I heard him speak again. "Ya said it yourself, you're just gettin' to know me. How do'ya know that I'm not just some nobody redneck asshole, with an even bigger asshole for a brother?"

I shifted and wrapped my arms around him, resting my head against his chest. I could feel his heart beating against his chest and I could hear his breathing become harsher at my touch. He didn't embrace me in return, but I didn't expect him to. If I knew one thing about Daryl, it was that he had his secrets. Taking a deep breath, I breathed him in instead of air, the now familiar scents of Daryl seeping into me. "I don't think you're just some nobody, redneck asshole" I said quietly as I tested the waters. "Wanna know what I think?" I took his prolonged silence as my answer.

"You put up this front so nobody can get close to you, but for some reason, you're slowly letting me in. You come over here when you see my door open to make sure I'm okay. You took care of me when I was drunk and you didn't take advantage of me like I'm sure your brother would have done. After Jimmy hit me and I threw him out, you held me while I cried and told me that everything would be okay. Does that sound like some nobody, redneck asshole to you?"

Before I could move, Daryl was rising from my couch. There was a fire in his eyes, and he clenched his fists at his side. His breathing was rough and labored like he was in pain. All I could do was sit there with my hands in my lap as I watched him, unsettled by his demeanor especially following the incident with Jimmy earlier that day. "You don' know anything, girl" he spat through gritted teeth. "You think I'm some knight in shinin' armor?" His hands gestured at he books on my walls. "You think I'm some hero from one of your books? People aren't like that, Beth. No one, especially me."

Daryl turned on his heels and stalked to my bedroom, grabbing his boots from beside my bed. He didn't even put them on before he huffed past me and out the door, slamming it upon his exit. I heard him barrel into his own apartment and I could hear the sounds of his boots hitting the wall like he'd thrown them. I ran to my door and pulled it open so I could walk across the hall. As I stood in front of his door, my hand ready to knock, the familiar sounds of Johnny Cash's resonating voice flooded from behind it.

_"I will let you down. I will make you hurt..." _


	18. Chapter 18

_ **It was a couple of days until I saw Daryl next. ** _

When I heard the lyrics flowing through the door I could feel my heart breaking. I stood there until the song finished, debating on whether or not to knock. I wanted to, but I didn't know if I should. I didn't know if Daryl was the kind of person that needed to be alone, or if he was the type that needed you to chase after him. While I was wishing for the latter, I had a feeling he needed his space. Begrudgingly, I turned back and went back to my own apartment, only to bypass everything and drop myself in bed.

As I curled up with my body pillow, I couldn't help but feel the aftereffects of the day wash over me. In the past 24 hours I had broken it off with my abusive boyfriend, found comfort in the arms of my older, mysterious neighbor, had mind blowing sex with said neighbor, and then pissed him off enough to chase him away. I was still wearing Daryl's t-shirt and the smell of him clouded my thoughts. I hadn't meant to upset him, but I wasn't entirely sure that it was all my fault. All I had done was be honest and open with him in attempts of learning more about him. Had that really warranted such a reaction from him? The longer I thought about it, the more tired I became and I eventually drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Sunday came and went, as did Monday. I spent the majority of my time inside of my apartment when I wasn't at school. I avoided going out into the hallway at all costs. I was so worried about bumping into Daryl, or hearing his voice on the other side of his door that I scurried away from our doors like a nervous mouse. Working at the Nursery on Tuesday had provided some distraction, but not as much as I had hoped for. During lunch, I sat down with Lori and explained what happened the weekend prior, only for her to tell me to give Daryl space. She said that stereotypical line, "if it's meant to be, it'll be" and I wanted to scream. I wanted to talk to him but I couldn't drudge up the courage to do so. I felt like everything had gone back to the way it was before, with him being a complete asshole and me being intimidated by him.

I went on a bike ride after work as I tried to clear my head. I cared about Daryl, there was no getting around that. I liked the time we spent together talking in my apartment drinking sweet tea. I liked when he kissed me with this unbridled lust that I hadn't experienced before. I liked how he spent the night on my couch instead of my bed because I was drunk and he didn't want to look like he was taking advantage of me. There were so many things I had grown to respect and cherish about Daryl and I was afraid that it was all for nothing.

Upon arriving at my building, I noticed that the motorcycle wasn't in its usual parking spot and I could feel my muscles relax. Daryl had told me that lately he preferred riding the bike because of the traffic and parking issues by where he worked, which meant that he was still out. Grabbing my bag from the handlebars, I ran up the three flights of stairs, only to hear Classic Rock music flooding our hall. I knew that meant the the older Dixon brother was definitely home. I almost made it through the door before I heard their door open, but it wasn't Merle. As my eyes followed a scantily clad woman strutting down the hall, I could hear more feminine giggling coming from the apartment. When I turned to face the sound, my eyes were met by familiar bright blue ones and my breath caught in my throat.

"Hey, Daryl" I said softly as I felt my entire body blush. His eyes were locked on and it reminded me of how he'd stared at me in my room. It was almost predatory, but I wasn't put off by it surprisingly. My stomach churned deliciously at the sight of his bare chest through his leather vest. "H-How are you?"

"Fine" he replied, his tone gruff and serious. "You?" The coldness of his voice struck me harder than I thought it would. It felt like he had slapped me across the face, just like Jimmy had.

But before I could answer there was a high-pitched, trailer park giggle coming from behind the door and a woman appeared behind him. She was taller than me and had long, curly red hair. Her jean daisy dukes barely covered anything at all and her bright pink tank top was a couple sizes too small. I normally wouldn't have paid a woman like that much attention, but when I saw her hanging off of him (well trying to between his attempts at shooing her off), I focused on her a bit more. "Daryl baby, who'ya talkin' to?" the tramp asked.

"Carly, this is Beth," he said quickly. "Beth, Carly." I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at him in disgust. I remembered back to the first time I had ever knocked on his door and Merle had answered. He'd mentioned something about Daryl being at some girl's house when i'd asked for him. Was this the girl in question?

"Nice to meet you, Carly" I said politely, trying to bite my tongue in the process. If I would have said anything to her then, I would have been no better than her and her blatant attempts at "claiming her territory" so to speak. I held my hand out to her but she looked at me if I were diseased.

"Yeah...whatever" she replied as she turned her attention back to Daryl. I could feel my fists clenching automatically because of my overwhelming desire to hit this woman before me. How dare she speak to me like that?! Who was she to think she was better than me?! Judging by the way Daryl pushed her off, she meant close to nothing. _I_ had been able to wrap my arms around him. _I_ had dug my fingers into the soft flesh of his back leaving marks in my wake. Or had she done that too? Daryl must have noticed my change in demeanor because he quickly dismissed her back into the apartment.

"Nice girl" I spat as I felt my blood boil. I never would have imagined Daryl to be the kind of man to do this to someone, but I chalked it up to apparently not knowing the real Daryl Dixon. "She's a real keeper, that one."

He started to explain before Merle's voice rang out clear as a bell. "If that's the blonde from 'cross the hall, invite 'er in, baby brother!" he exclaimed, clearly drunk and drugged out on whatever he was able to find that day. He pulled the door wide open and dropped his arm over Daryl's shoulders, which tensed immediately. "Hey, sugartits. Change your mind about partyin' wit us?"

Daryl quickly pushed him away, effectively shutting Merle's mouth for a moment. "Shut it, jackass" he said sternly, which only caused Merle to laugh. "Aww, look at him, Carly! Darlene thinks she's got a pair!" The tramp from before began to laugh at the top of her lungs, emitting a sound that was practically a screech. I watched him hang his head, clearly deciding to fight no more and to just take whatever they doled out. I turned to my door and unlocked it rapidly, only to turn around and grab Daryl by the hand and pulling him into my apartment. He didn't take to that action very well, as I remembered being warned about him and pulling at the bar.

"What the hell was tha' for?" he barked right as I shut the door. "I didn't need yer help."

"I know you didn't! You just didn't deserve that!" I screamed. I was enraged with how Merle had treated his younger brother and I was sickened by the female company they kept. I couldn't understand for the life of me what made them treat him that way. The fact that he had given in upset me even further. "And why'd you just give up?! You're so much stronger than that!"

I could tell that my passion had thrown him for a loop, causing him to back away from me slightly and lean against my breakfast bar. "Why do you care?" he asked, his voice still unwavering. "_You're _the one who's been avoidin' _me _the past few days! Not the other way around!"

His response caught me off guard. That was the last argument I expected him to use. He had noticed my cowardice after all, how I have no idea. "If you noticed, why didn't you come to me?" I asked, my voice more restrained and calm. "But no, you avoided me too, didn't you?" His quiet said it all, as it usually did. I chuckled and crossed my arms over my chest, a smirk on my lips. "You're just as afraid of me as I am of you, aren't you?" That explained everything. The fact that he'd run out on me the other day, how he'd only been that way why Merle was gone. The thought almost enraged me. "You have the nerve to blame me without taking an ounce of it yourself? Fuck you."

The air was heavy between us as my harsh words lingered between us. His eyes were transfixed on me and he wasn't moving. He just stood there staring at me. As I was about to speak, he lunged at me, weaving his fingers into my hair and pressing his lips against mine. His lips were frantic against mine, and were filled with a desperation like no other. Before I could understand what was going on, I was kissing him back and his hands drifted to the underside of my thighs. Daryl lifted me and wrapped my legs around his waist and brought me to my kitchen counter, setting me down on the granite countertop. When I was seated, I pulled back a bit and looked at him, trying to understand what he was doing.

"I should'a never left the other night" he breathed as he gripped the side of my face and brought his forehead to mine. His voice was shaky and nervous, but like my breathing. He wrapped his other arm around my waist, clutching me to him. My head was swimming, my blood was pumping, and I couldn't catch my breath. I closed my eyes as I assessed the situation, but Daryl took that as a sign to kiss me again. My legs wrapped around him and held him to me as I gave into our desire to lose ourselves in one another.


	19. AUTHOR NOTE

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
Hey y'all! So it was brought to my attention that Chapter 7 is a repeat, so I went and fixed it. Make sure to go back and read the real chapter 3**


	20. Chapter 19

_Smutty smut smut. Also! Make sure to check out our Tumblr! I've already started posting hints at things in the sequel :D_

* * *

_**I had never felt so needed before. **_

When Daryl's lips were thrashing against mine, it was as if I didn't even need air. Our tongues melded together as his hands gripped onto my hip and the back of my neck. His breath was harsh and ragged, and once again I could feel his heart racing when his chest was pressed against mine. He had positioned himself between my legs and I wrapped them around his waist, clutching him to me. I wove my fingers into his hair as if he were the only thing still anchoring me down and his desperate hunger for me coursed through my veins, coaching my body on how to respond to him. It's like we were made to be connected.

With my being firmly planted on the kitchen counter, pinned between granite and Daryl, I couldn't have moved if I wanted to. I knew there were bigger problems at bay. I knew there were things we needed to talk about, the _first _time we'd gotten together being one of them. However, the farther Daryl went, the more I let go. His lips moved from my lips and over my neck, biting down every so often. I knew there would be marks afterward but I didn't care. He needed it, and I needed him, however I could have him.

Quickly, Daryl picked me up in a bridal carry and took me to the couch, my bedroom clearly being to far away for his tastes. He laid me out gently before hopping on top of me, his body practically hovering over mine as he propped himself up using the couch for support. His tongue dragged across his lips and it made me squirm as I remembered where it had been a few days prior. His devilish grin set itself upon his lips as he dropped his head so his lips were resting against my ear. "I know exactly what yer thinkin' " he growled, his body slowly descending onto mine, trapping me beneath him. The weight of his body against mine felt indescribable, like he was staking some claim on me and I could feel how badly he wanted me. His hand palmed my breast, causing my breath to hitch in my chest which only made him chuckle darkly. "Come on, baby girl. Tell me how much ya want me." His heavy drawl was enough to set my entire body aflame.

There were no words for what I was feeling. My brain had completely shut down. The only things that were making sense at the moment were Daryl and my unbridled desire for him. He moved his hand from my chest down my side until he reached the waistband of my shorts. Teasingly, he smoothed his hand over my sex and settled his palm right above my slit. My breathing was erratic as I continuously reminded myself to breathe and a warm desire had settled in the pits of my stomach. Apparently, my silence was unsatisfactory. "Well, in that case, I guess I should jus' stop huh?" he teased as he slowly began pulling his hand back. Before I knew it, my hand was on his, pushing it back down. His eyes burned like the first time we'd been together and I knew I had him.

"_Please_" I purred, my voice soundly almost unrecognizable to my own ears. It was laced with wanton desire and he knew it, it was like he fed off it.

"Please _what_?" he inquired as he dipped a finger into me, eliciting a moan loud enough to wake the dead. I could feel him straining against his jeans and I wanted nothing more than him. Resting his forehead against mine, our eyes locked once more and it felt like he was burning straight through me. "I wanna hear ya, darlin'. Tell me."

Before I could answer, his finger toyed with me again. I could feel the familiar heat pooling throughout my body and I could feel that my upper thighs were slick. With a breathy whisper, I clutched my hand to the back of his neck and kissed him softly. "Please don't stop" I begged, my lips brushing against his as I spoke. My request was all he needed before he pulled back and peeled my shorts and panties away. Daryl's hands drifted to his wallet that was situated in his back pocket as always and removed a familiar foil packet, but he moved farther away so he was leaning on the armrest opposite me. He stroked himself as I picked my head up, my eyes never leaving his. When he was hard enough for his liking, he rolled the condom on and leaned over, pulling me on top of him.

I guess he noticed the fear in my eyes because he smiled impishly as I sat there staring at him. "What?" he asked, his voice gravely and thick. "Ya never been on top before?"

Dropping my gaze, I shook my head, my messy hair brushing over my shoulders as I moved. When I'd been with Jimmy, he'd never allowed me to ride him. He'd always been the one on top since he was "the man" and he was more experienced than I was. Nerves shot through me as I felt Daryl's hand against my cheek. "You'll like it" he said softly, pulling me harder so I had no choice but to straddle him. I could feel him twitching underneath me as our hips were pressed together. He grinned at me as I sat up straight. "I promise, you'll like it."

Daryl gently guided himself inside me and my head felt back from the sensation. I had never felt so...full. His fingers dug into my my hips as he ground his into mine. Without thinking twice, I ground back as if my body knew what to do without having to be told. Our moans soon filled the room as we moved as one. When he gave, I took and vice versa. Our bodies collided over and over again in waves of need and passion and I could feel myself edging closer. Releasing my hips, Daryl took his thumb and rubbed it against my clit as if he were trying to pull the orgasm from my body.

"Daryl..." I moaned as I fixed my sights on him. His eyes were full of desire and something that seemed like adoration. He'd been watching me the entire time, watching how my breasts bounced while I rode him, watching my skin flush. The more he toyed with me, the closer I came to the end but I needed him to finish with me. Lowering myself so my chest was against his, I kissed him roughly, biting on his lower lip before I moved to his neck. His fingers tensed on my hip and my name fell from his lips as our pace quickened. With one final thrust, we came together, my cries of ecstasy and his string of profanities flooding the entire apartment. I collapsed on top of him, our chests heaving from the lack of air. Without warning, he threw our bodies backwards so he was atop me yet again, his smile soft and sated. I didn't even remember falling asleep, all I knew was that I had never felt safer than I did underneath Daryl Dixon.


	21. Chapter 20

_**What had that woman done to me?**_

For the second time in less than a week I'd ended up at Beth's, fuckin' the shit outta her. There was just somethin' about her, somethin' I couldn't understand. No matter what I did or said, she'd seen past my bullshit and called me out on it. After our run in with my dumbass brother and one of his many slutty 'friends', she'd pulled me inside her apartment to save me from their stupid nitpickin'. They loved teasin' me for whatever reason, probably because I was a bit softer than Merle, but I didn't care. I hated being a Dixon and whenever I was around Beth, I was jus' Daryl.

After I'd woken up on the couch, I pulled myself out of her tiny arms and redressed myself. I looked up at the now familiar clock on the wall and cursed myself for falling asleep. I had promised my boss at the garage that I'd help him on a bit of a side project and I was runnin' late. Takin' a piece of paper off the fridge, I found a pen and wrote Beth a quick note:

_Beth, had to run. Going to help my boss at work. I'll stop by later if it isn't too late._ _-Daryl_

Pouring a glass of sweet tea from her pitcher, I set the glass on the coffee table on the corner of the note, makin' sure she'd see it. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I'd fucked her and ran. I wasn't that kind of man and I'd be damned to let her think so. Normally I wouldn'tve cared, but it was Beth and she deserved a note goodbye. I slowly bent down and pushed the blonde hair from her forehead, pressin' my lips to the soft exposed skin. She mumbled a bit before turning over, exposing her naked backside. I grabbed a nearby blanket and covered her before I left, running to my bike as I tried to make up for lost time.

* * *

Once I pulled into the garage, I was greeted by my boss, Dale. He was an older fella, probably in his sixties or seventies. I'd started workin' for him the few days after Merle and I had gotten to Savannah and I never regretted it. Dale always had beer in the work fridge, paid well, and hired anyone he felt worthy regardless of their background. I'd tried to get Merle a job there too, but as always, he'd blown it within the first week by showin' up high. That was one thing Dale refused to tolerate. He'd taken some sort of special interest in me, praisin' me for the jobs I did well and teachin' me when I'd messed up. I'd been surprised when he asked for my help, but I owed the old man. So I showed up without complaint, ready to explain why I was late.

"Sorry I'm late, boss man" I said was I changed into my grease coated coveralls. I usually left them at the shop in my locker, but I knew I'd need to bring them home for a washin' tonight. "I got a little caught up in somethin'." The image that popped into my head made me grin to myself, seeing myself buried in that sweet, beautiful girl. I quickly pushed Beth from my mind before I was forced to hide underneath a car or somethin'.

"Don't worry about it, Daryl" Dale replied as he walked out of the office with two bottles of beer. Leave it to him to know how to get me to work for free. As he handed me one, he smiled at me. "I'm just glad you showed up. I really need your help."

Walking over to something covered by a sheet, he removed it and displayed what was underneath, a 1965 Mustang Fastback that had _definitely _seen better days. Merle had always dreamed of a car like that but never saved up enough to get one, buyin' the bike instead. Granted, the car was beyond beat up, with chipped paint and the works, but I knew we could make it like new again if we had enough time. "What do you think, son? Worth a try?"

Looking over the hunk of junk that sat in front of me, I smiled a bit as I took a sip of my beer. "We can get it done with the right parts and shit" I replied, feeling excited to work on such a classic car. "Who's it for?"

Dale smiled at me and clasped his hand on my shoulder. He was usually the only one I let touch me like that, well, apart from the recent addition of Beth Greene. "It's actually for my wife" the old man replied with a laugh. "She's way more of a badass than me. Our anniversary is coming up and I thought it would be a nice gift. I had one when we first started dating and she _loved_ that car, probably more than I did. I think that's the reason she stayed with me originally, but I have no way of knowing for sure." With a wink, Dale removed his hand and pushed our beers together. "I appreciate you helping me, Daryl. I really do."

"Don't worry, seriously." Popping the hood, I started lookin' over the engine when I heard Dale speak again.

"So what's her name?" my boss asked me, sipping on his beer and smilin' wide. His question caused me to hit my head on the underside of the hood, hard.

"Excuse you?" I replied, my voice a little gruffer than I intended. That didn't bother Dale none. He just laughed at me

"The reason you're late" she said calmly, like he was all knowin'. "What's her name?"

"I don' know what yer talkin' about" I snapped. Dale had never really asked me such personal questions before and I had no idea of how to react. My surprise only made him laugh harder.

Walking up to me, Dale pulled the collar of my coveralls just a bit, revealing the marks that Beth had left on me. I could feel my skin blushing and I couldn't stop it. Releasin' my collar, he smiled. "I'm not gonna ask you again, what's. her. name?"

As I went back to the car, I sighed loudly. I wasn't one for putting my personal life out there, especially when I had no idea what was going on. Everything that was happening between Beth and me was different, I didn't know how to explain it properly. However, I knew Dale wouldn't stop, so I grunted and gave into his questioning.

"Beth" I replied shortly, "Her name is Beth." My skin kept flushing as her name left my lips. I had no idea what she was doing to me, but I couldn't say I didn't like it any. The thought of her made me smile, hell, even the dirty thought of her were enough to get me through the day. The sound of her voice rang in my ears all the time and her laugh sent chills up my spine, in a good way. This girl was an angel, one who'd decided to dance with the Devil instead of the rest of the choir.

"How'd you meet her?" I could hear him smilin' from under the hood.

"She's my neighbor, just moved in a couple'a weeks ago."

Laughing, Dale pulled up a stool and sat next to me as I tinkered. He had this father-like quality about him, one that I'd come to honor and respect. He'd given me chances, helped me get on my feet, he'd even helped me find the apartment Merle and I shared. "How does she like Merle?"

It was my turn to laugh. "Can't stand 'im, like most people." Beth had definitely voiced her opinion on my 'crude and infuriating" older brother. It was one of the things I liked most about her.

We sat and chatted for a couple of hours as we worked on the car. He'd ask me questions about Beth every so often as he tried to get information outta me. From what I'd said, he told me that I had myself a keeper and to be careful not to lose her. He'd even let me go a little early so I could still have time to see Beth before she had to go to bed. After we cleaned up, I shook his hand and got back on the bike. speedin' home faster than a bat outta hell.


	22. Chapter 21

_**I'd never woken up and felt so alone. **_

Turning over in my sleep, I expected to find Daryl peacefully sleeping beside me. What I found was the back of the couch. I'd been covered up by one of the blankets, but I was still alone. Before moving, I listened to see if someone was in my bathroom, or my kitchen, but the silence of the apartment told me that Daryl was long gone. There was an ache in my chest that I couldn't keep at bay. Had he really just left me here without saying goodbye?

I flipped over to face out into the dark, quiet apartment and reached over to turn on a lamp on a nearby end table. The clock said it was a little past nine at night so I quickly did a bit of math. I'd gotten home between 6:30 and 7:00, and soon after that Daryl and I were...on the couch. Honestly I didn't know _what_ to call what we had done. 'Making love' didn't seem right, but neither did 'fucking' or the like. I was about to get up and go to my room when I noticed a glass of sweet tea that wasn't there before I fell asleep. Sitting up on the couch, I saw there was a note from Daryl, explaining he'd had to leave but he'd try to come back.

The pain of abandonment I'd felt quick receded. Deep down, I wanted to slap myself for doubting Daryl in the first place. Regardless of our...status, he'd been good to me. He didn't deserve to be thought of in any kind of negative light, at least from what I had seen of him. Granted, what had transpired a few hours before wasn't exactly a great thing, but I had yet to hear Daryl's side of the story so I tried to refrain from passing ignorant judgements. Plus, in all honesty, I had no right to be jealous or upset over anything _or anyone_ Daryl did. We weren't exclusive as far as I knew. We hadn't even spoken about the first time we'd wound up in bed together and it had happened yet again. There was too much going on that wasn't being explained, way more than I had imagined happening. It was throwing me for a major loop.

Rising from the couch, I walked into my room so I could shower. I had fallen asleep so quickly after we'd finished, plus I had been off riding my bike before I got home. I laughed a little to myself when I realized I'd gotten double the cardio workout that day. It wasn't a joke that I'd usually make, but it was every bit as true as much as it was funny. Once I was fully undressed, I turned the water on and got in after waiting for the water to warm. As I rubbed the honeysuckle body wash into my skin, I imagined what it would be like if Daryl's hands had replaced mine. I wondered what it would feel like for him to caress me gently, dragging his fingers over my dripping skin. Within minutes I had my eyes closed as I rubbed my breasts with the same imagination.

Even fantasizing about Daryl was different. Just thinking about his rough, calloused hands on my soft, supple skin was enough to drive me crazy. The more I imagined, the further my hands traveled down my body. I remembered his lips on mine, his teeth taking hold of my neck and shoulders. As the water cascaded over my body, I could feel the individual drops that fell on those swollen and bruised patches of flesh, bringing back fleeting moments of passion. My hand finally stopped once it was right where I wanted it. As I continued to daydream about Daryl, I began to gently rub the most sensitive spot on my entire body. With one hand working between my legs, and the other grasping at my breasts, I leaned back against the shower wall as I let the water run over me.

I rarely pleasured myself at all, but I just couldn't stop myself. The ghost sensations of his tongue, his skin, his lips, _everything _was so much more thrilling and exciting. I'd never touched myself to thoughts of a specific person before, never really having anything too stimulating to work with. But Daryl...he was something else. He was older and experienced, which definitely showed. Sex with him was just so carnal and raw, unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. The way he played my body was as if I were a grand piano and he was Bach, or Mozart, a sinful virtuoso that had aroused parts of me I didn't even know I had. My fingers became his the closer I came to the edge. It was as if I could hear his now familiar drawl resonating in my ears. I could almost feel his ragged breaths on my neck as they were ripped from his chest. The teeth biting on my bottom lip were his as my fingers moved faster and lighter, bringing me over the edge into bliss.

My knees grew weaker and caused me to sit on the floor of my shower as I lathered my hair. All over, my body was tingling like it was carrying some sort of electric charge. My muscles were relaxing and contracting and my skin flushed from the mix of playing with myself and the unrelenting hot water. It took a while before my heart settled back into it's regular rhythm and for my lungs to relearn how to breathe properly. My body responded to Daryl like I'd never seen before and it was the most amazing thing. All throughout high school I had to listen to my friends as they attempted to describe what I was currently feeling, but none of their words came even relatively close to the sensations that had overpowered me. Secretly I hoped I'd get to experience more, which caused a playful grin to appear on my lips.

I was shaken from my reverie by a loud banging on my door. Thinking it was Daryl, I left the shower, turned it off, and I threw on my white, fluffy terry cloth robe. Even in the short amount of time it took me to cross my apartment, the harsh knocking never ceased. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" I yelled with a laugh as I quickened my pace. "Someone's in a hurry to get back-"

The sight before me was not one that I had expected. When I opened the door, my smile quickly faded as I came face-to-face with my least favorite Dixon brother. He reeked of booze and cheap perfume, mixed with God only knew what. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was wild. "Merle, what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to pull my robe so that less of my skin was exposed. I didn't like the way he looked at me fully clothed and I was in no mood to be gawked at in my current state. I closed the door so a crack remained, keeping my head in view. "Something I can help you with?"

"I need'a ride, Barbie" Merle said, his voice rough and gravely. I could tell he was beyond inebriated by the slurring in his speech. However, when I looked into his eyes, they had a familiar look to them. They were the same look Daryl's had when I'd confront him earlier, _fear_. When he spoke again, his voice shook me from my thoughts. "I'm serious. I'm too drunk n' high ta drive and I need yer help."

"What for, Dixon?" I asked, my tone harsh and unyielding. From what Daryl had told me about Merle, I knew his call for help could be a wolf cry. Not that I didn't want to believe him, but the thought of sharing my car with the older Dixon brother for any period of time was incredibly unappealing. "What's so important? Run out of booze again? Get Daryl to take you when he gets home."

I was closing the door when a boot stopped it at a crack. "I'm not kiddin' blondie" he spoke through the crack. As I threw the door back open, not caring if Merle Dixon saw me in my robe, I couldn't help but be cross with him.

"What?!" I shouted, my patience already at it's thinnest. "What's so damn important?!"

"I need'ya ta take me to the hospital" he replied, his face vacant of any of his usual mockery. "It's Daryl..."


End file.
